Harry Potter and the Sons of JENOVA
by Nataku's Wrath
Summary: The War between the Light and Darkness has reached new heights. As Cloud and Tifa battle to save the Wizarding World, Sephiroth has become Voldemorts puppet of destruction. Can Hogwarts survive the battle of One Winged Angels? FFVII x HP crossover
1. Warrior and Wizard

_Author's Notes:  
__To make this story work I made a few changes. Both Cloud and Tifa are younger than they were in the game, they're the same age as Harry and the rest. I also altered the ending of Final Fantasy VII to serve my needs. Please read and respond. Criticism, both positive and negative, is greatly appreciated and welcome._

Disclaimer: I do not own or have rights to either the Harry Potter Series or the Final Fantasy series. This is a work of fun and entertainment for all to enjoy.

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Harry Potter and the Sons of JENOVA

Chapter I

"Warrior and Wizard"

Nibelheim was an ordinary small town, shadowed by the towering peaks of the Nibel Mountains. At the end of the town stood a rickety abandoned mansion. It was once the mayor's residence, but had fallen into disrepair in recent years. Deep within the bowls of the mansion, a young man tore through room after room, searching for something unknown.

He was a tall man, well over six feet tall, and his waist long white hair shown brightly in the moonlight. Dressed in a black leather battle suit, he continued to ransack the mansion, pausing only to read any reports or documents he uncovered. His glowing green eyes flared with anger as he began to pound on the walls, punching through the plaster and support beams. Those same eyes shone with a determination that only madness can inspire. This newly found madness and resolve drove him onward. He hadn't eaten or slept for days, not since he had since the horrors of his recent trip to Nibelhiem's Mako reactor. The monstrosities in the dark bowels of the reactor were too familiar to him. Each terror raised more and more questions about his unfamiliar past. And in this abandoned mansion were the answers he sought.

He kept striking the walls until he punched straight through a wall, leaving a massive chasm in his wake. Ripping the reminder of the wall to shreds, he found a staircase spiraling downwards. Conjuring a bit of magic a small puff of flame sparked to life on a discarded torch. Torch in hand, he walked down the steep stone stairs. The stairs began to wind downwards, spiraling into an unknown abyss. The man continued downwards without fear or hesitation. The stairs seemed to continue forever, burrowing deeper and deeper into the cold earth. Finally reaching the bottom, the man stepped into a dark, dank tunnel. The tunnel was old, far older than he was and looked like an ancient tomb or crypt. Skeletons littered the ground, red-eyed bats hung from the rafters, and an eerie yellow light beckoned from the end of the tunnel. The man immediately headed out towards the light, wallowing through the crumbling bones and dusty cobwebs. As he reached the door, the man heard the heavy drone of machinery and the fierce cackle of electricity.

'There's someone else here' he thought as he grasped the doorknob. He rushed into the room, instantly taken back at the sight. The vast room was a mad scientist's laboratory, just like in the movies he once saw in Midgar. From floor to ceiling, the walls were covered with massive shelves filled with books on chemistry, physics, biology, genetics, and subjects he couldn't even recognize. Test tubes filled with foaming liquids stood in uncountable racks while potions brewed in self-stirring pots. Bolts of electricity spat across the ceiling, illuminating a cloaked figure hunched over an experiment. Upon hearing the door open the figure spun round to face the intruder.

"Who are you?" came a cold reptilian hiss from under the cloak. "Who dares disturb Lord Voldemort?" came the hiss seeped in anger.

"My name is Sephiroth," replied the tall man in black. "And you are trespassing on Shin-Ra property. Leave. Now." Sephiroth stepped into the room, drawing his massive sword, the Masamune.

This cloaked man, this Lord Voldemort, began to laugh. It was an icy sound, one that would have sent chills up a normal man's spine. But Sephiroth was far from a normal man. He held his ground his sword ready to attack.

Voldemort continued to laugh, careless of the drawn blade. "You little fool. You can not harm Lord Voldemort with such puny mortal toys." Voldemort turned to face his opponent for the first time. In the low light Sephiroth could barely make out Voldemort's features. The face was a deathly alabaster, whiter than the whitest marble. His face was reptilian: flat and triangular. His nostrils were small slits and his tongue was forked like a serpents. The eyes were the most horrifying aspect of the dark one's visage. The orbs were a deep bloody red, the black pupils slits like a cat's eye. To look into Lord Voldemort's eyes was to look into the eyes of the devil himself.

Sephiroth refused to be intimidated by this demon serpent. His green eyes burned with fury as he launched his attack. "Be gone Snake!" he roared as he leapt into the air. Flipping in midair, Sephiroth drove his sword downwards; ready to cleave the Dark Lord in two. The sword flashed in the eerie light as it crashed through the lab table where Voldemort had been working. The table was reduced to splinters and dust, but there was no sign of Sephiroth's target. Sephiroth was momentarily confused until he heard a serpent's hiss behind him.

"Come now, warrior. You'll have to do better than that to defeat Lord Voldemort." Voldemort reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a thin wand. He bowed to Sephiroth and assumed an en guard position. Smiling, he waved in Sephiroth, daring him to attack. Sephiroth was more than happy to oblige.

Again he rushed at Voldemort, sword aimed straight at Voldemort's chest. Voldemort stood calmly, never flinching or changing his position. At the last second, he disappeared right before Sephiroth's eyes; the sword stabbing right where Voldemort's black heart had been. Sephiroth's fury knew no bounds. Never before had ever been embarrassed by any foe. And the icy laughter from Voldemort only stroked the fires of his hatred. He rushed at Voldemort again and again, each time Voldemort disappearing at the last moment and reappearing elsewhere in the room, laughing at Sephiroth's inability to strike. This continued for the better part of an hour and destroyed most of the room.

"I grow tired of this game," yawned Voldemort as he sat down on a lab table. "It is time to end it." He raised his wand and pointed the tip at Sephiroth's chest. "_CRUCIO_!" he bellowed as a red bolt of lightning flew from the wand. The bolt struck Sephiroth in the chest, the immense pain coming instantly. Every cell in Sephiroth's body felt like it suddenly caught fire and was burning from the inside out. Blood poured from the pores of the exposed flesh. The incalculable pain brought Sephiroth to his knees. However, he did not cry out, not even when Voldemort poured more energy into the attack. Sephiroth leaved heavily on his sword refusing to cry out or fall over. Again and again Voldemort struck Sephiroth, determined to break the stubborn warrior. Sephiroth's determination began to overtake the waves of pain, resisting the curses.

"No! How can you possibly fight the Cruciatus Curse? It's not possible!" roared Voldemort.

Smiling weakly, Sephiroth slowly regained his vertical base. His eyes burning with defiance, he stared into Voldemort's heart. "I-am-accustomed-to-pain…" he growled. Overcoming the pain through sheer will alone, Sephiroth raised his fallen sword. A loud inhuman roar leapt from his throat as red, fiery waves erupted from his worn, bleeding body. He slowly levitated off the ground, as the red waves grew larger and brighter. Sephiroth looked down at the shocked Voldemort. Voldemort fired more curses at Sephiroth's floating form, but the bolts of magic bounced off the powered up warrior. The red waves of energy slowly faded to a bright white glow. Drawing his sword in front of him like a spear, Sephiroth roared as the white light grew brighter. Sephiroth looked down at the shocked Voldemort and plummeted sword first at the wizard.

"FALLEN ANGEL!" he roared as he hurtled towards Voldemort, a living bullet encased in white light.

"PROTEGO!" shouted Voldemort in response. Immediately, a silvery light surrounded Voldemort, shielding him from Sephiroth's attack. Sephiroth slammed into the barrier with the force of a runaway train. Lightning danced across the room as the two powers collided against one another. The shield had withstood the onslaught of the attack, but was beginning to give way under Sephiroth's vast power. The shield shattered in a magnificent explosion and both combatants were flung across the room from the blast. Sephiroth was catapulted backwards across the room, through several lab tables before colliding into a large bookcase. The case then fell on top of the warrior. Likewise, Voldemort was tossed backwards by the blast. He flew directly into the stonewall of the room, collapsing in a heap of black cloak. Neither fighter moved for several minutes, the explosion taking its toll on the already tired fighters. Sephiroth was the first to stir. His limit technique had taken a lot out of him and his body was still feeling the effects of Voldemort's Cruciatus Curses. He slowly rose out from under the bookcase, scattering books and papers across the room in the process. He slowly got back to his feet and, dragging his massive sword behind him, limped towards the now stirring Voldemort. Sephiroth stood above the semi-conscious Voldemort, preparing to strike him down once and for all. As he raised his sword for the final blow, Voldemort's crimson eyes snapped open.

"_Imperio_," he hissed as he pointed his wand at Sephiroth.

Immediately, Sephiroth stopped dead in his tracks. Voldemort stood up, focusing his power into Sephiroth's mind. Sephiroth's sword dropped from his hand, clattering on the floor. A small, barely recognizable smile crept across the stoic warrior's face. This was perhaps the most wonderful feeling he had ever experienced. Sephiroth felt a calm, peaceful, floating sensation sweep over him like a smooth breeze. All his pain, anger, and sadness were washed away, leaving only a feeling of uncanny bliss. The room slowly faded into nothingness, leaving only a relaxing calm.

Then he heard the voice. It was quiet serene voice that echoed within his ears. _Listen_, it said. _Listen and bow to your new master…_

Sephiroth began to obediently bow before Voldemort. Slowly and deliberately lowering himself to one knee.

_Bow to me_…Sephiroth was almost on the ground when a second voice penetrated his thoughts.

**No. I bow to no man. I am my own master**… came Sephiroth's own voice in the back of his mind.

"Never!" came a defiant snarl from Sephiroth's lips. "I will never bow to the likes of you!" Sephiroth tried to stand but couldn't find the strength. Fighting off the curse had stolen away most of his remaining energy. Realizing his spell was lacking the potency to ensnare Sephiroth, Voldemort cast the spell again. This time it was powerful enough to break Sephiroth's resolve. The proud warrior succumbed to the Imperius Curse. Now fully in control, Voldemort wormed his way into Sephiroth's subconscious. Instantly, flashes of memories, secrets, and the truth of Sephiroth's origins rushed into Voldemort's mind. He learned everything there was to know about Sephiroth's creation, JENOVA, Shin-ra, METEOR, and WEAPON. Taken back by this sudden overwhelming knowledge, Voldemort quickly came up with a devious and evil plan to use this world and warrior to his advantage. He manipulated Sephiroth's mind, twisting it to suit his sadistic purposes. He created false memories and feelings, convincing Sephiroth that he, Lord Voldemort, was his master. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, a smile spread across his serpentine features. _This is going to be fun_, he thought maniacally.

"Arise, Sephiroth," he commanded. "There is much work to be done, my friend."

-VII-

5 years later…

Sephiroth allowed himself a small smile. He had followed his master's instructions perfectly. He had awakened his mother JENOVA and unleashed the WEAPONS upon the world. Using the Black Materia, he summoned METEOR to destroy the planet herself. There was only one thing, one man left standing in his way...

Cloud Strife…


	2. OWL’s Abundant

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Harry Potter and the Son's of JENOVA

Chapter II

"O.W.L.'s Abundant"

Privet Drive had always been a very prim and proper home in the very respectable, normal neighborhood of Little Whininging. It was a very clean place: all the lawns were green and nicely maintained, everyone's flower garden was in full bloom, and the neighbors naturally spied on one another and gossiped noon stop. . It was perfectly normal and that's what the Dursleys loved most about it. They despised anything that was abnormal and wanted nothing to do with anyone who didn't. Absolutely nothing happened outside of ordinary on Privet Drive. Until 15 years ago…

It began with owls. One day in early August, the residents of Privet Drive found their rooftops, mailboxes, lawn ornaments, power lines, and automobiles crowded with owls. There were simply thousands of them, of all shapes, sizes, and colors, all throughout the country. However, it seemed that the majority had suddenly decided to roost in Little Whininging. In particular they surrounded the Dursleys' house. Shortly after the owl spectacle, a small boy came to live with the Dursleys. Petunia Dursleys' nephew, his parents killed in an apparent car crash. He lived at number four, Privet Drive all his life. The neighbors thought it was very kind for the Dursleys to take him in. According to the gossipy Petunia Dursley, his real parents had been of very odd folk and were always getting into troubles. For eleven years he lived there and a sense of normality returned.

Again it began with owls. Owls began to appear again on Privet Drive. This time, instead of the usual small rodents, they bore strange letters in their talons. They were all addressed to Harry Potter, the Dursleys' adopted nephew. He had never received any sort of letter before and was very excited about getting it. However Vernon Dursley, his uncle, wouldn't allow him to have a single delivered letter. Instead he destroyed each and every letter the owls brought to the house. When Harry didn't respond to the letters more and more came. Owls once again crowded the streets of Little Whininging. They bore so many letters that they began to overflow the Dursleys' house. Eventually, the Dursleys couldn't take the never-ending flow of letters into their house and, with their nephew, drove away. They returned to Privet Drive a few days later, strangely without their nephew. He arrived home a few days later carrying very large and odd shaped parcels. At the end of the summer, the Dursleys piled all these strange packages into their car and drove into London. When they came back, their nephew was nowhere to be seen. Vernon said that the boy had been sent to a boarding school for criminal boys.

The boy returned that summer from his school. The neighbors, led by the Dursleys' example, did their very best to ignore the boy. For a time things were typical and unordinary again in Little Whininging. One August evening, Vernon Dursley brought a very important client and his wife home for dinner. Everyone in the neighborhood knew of course. The Dursleys had made sure that all of Privet Drive knew that they were entertaining very important people that night. All the neighbors peered out their windows as the guests arrived. Each stayed close to the windows and telephones to see and hear any information on the dinner party. Shortly after they arrived, a high-pitched scream and various loud shouts came from the Dursley house. A well-dressed man and woman came storming out of the house, covered in cake from head to toe. His guests gone, Vernon was furious. The neighbors could hear Vernon shouting at his nephew, the apparent cause of the incident, well into the night. Several days later, the entire neighborhood was awakened in the middle of the night by loud car-like noises and Vernon's loud shouting. The Potter boy wasn't seen for a whole year after that. It seemed that these strange occurrences and the Potter boy's disappearances were linked. People in the neighborhood began to put two in two together when the next summer, Vernon Dursleys' sister, Marge disappeared quite suddenly when she came to visit. And after her disappearance, Harry Potter again vanished for another year. The next summer was strangely normal in Privet drive. Harry once again came back from wherever he was all year long. And once again he left quite suddenly in August, this time along with blowing up the Dursleys' chimney.

The last summer there were rumors of Dudley, the Dursleys' real son, being attacked by someone and sunk into a depression because of it. In fact, it seemed that many of the residents of Little Whininging had bouts of depression that August. Then there was a break-in at the Dursleys. A group of burglars or bandits broke into the house one night while they were away at some award presentation. The Potter boy was at home at the time when the thieves broke in and was gone when they left. It was thought that he had been kidnapped for ransom. When no note was found everyone assumed that the boy had ran away in terror and was too ashamed to return.

'_Wonder what I'll destroy this summer_', thought Harry. _'Maybe I'll blow up the house or better yet, blow up Uncle Vernon._' He lightly chuckled at the idea. Harry paced across his small bedroom. Normally, the thought of destroying any part of his life in Little Whininging would have brought a great smile to his face. But not even the thought of such sweet retribution on the Dursleys could cast him out of the foul mood he had been in. Ever since the night in the Dept. of Mysteries and the events that took place afterwards, Harry had been deeply troubled. Even after the months that had followed, Harry still felt responsible for falling for Voldemort's trap. He felt that there must have been something he could have done to prevent what happened.

'_If only I hadn't fallen for Voldemort's trap. If only I had been smarter, no if only I had been stronger I could have stopped him and finished it all.'_

It was with that in mind that Harry turned his sorrow into ambitious rage. He began to train day and night, non-stop. He scoured over every spell book he had, reading and studying every spell he could find. He would have put Hermione's study habits to shame. The again Harry had a lot of motivation. Nothing had gone right last year at school. Umbridge had made his life a living hell: he was banned from playing Quidditch for life: he blew any chance he had of being with Cho Chang: failed as a capable instructor for the DA: probably failed all his O.W.L. tests: was possessed by Voldemort: fell for Voldemort's obvious trap: nearly got himself and his friends killed: and had to see his godfather, Sirius Black, fall at the hands of the Deatheater Bellatrix Lestrange. It seemed everyone that Harry cared for died a tragic painful death. Yes, he had plenty of motivation to study.

Harry took his nose out of his new Transfiguration textbook and stretched. His already thin frame seemed to shrink from the lack of exercise and proper nutrition. His already unruly hair had grown longer and now nearly hung over his eyes. He had let it grow mostly to cover his lightning bolt scar atop his forehead. It was nearly midnight, but Harry wasn't interested in sleep. He barely slept at all anymore. Every time he closed his eyes he relived his life's tragedies over and over in his dreams. Cedric Diggory's murder in the graveyard, Voldemort's resurrection, watching helplessly as Sirius fell…these events replayed again and again in vivid detail. Every night he managed to fall asleep, Harry always woke up screaming, his bed sheets soaked in sweat, and his scar burning red hot. Harry absentmindedly reached up and touched his scar, an act quickly becoming habit whenever he was upset.

"This bloody scar has brought me nothing but trouble," he said to himself. Harry walked across his small bedroom, kicking aside discarded books and various school supplies, to his open window. Staring out into the night sky, Harry's dark thoughts matched the gloom of the night. His mind began to drift like the wind. Harry became so lost in his self-hatred and pity that he failed to notice the flock of owls flying towards his window. His own owl, Hedwig, was leading the way. Her hooting roused Harry from his daze. He quickly stepped back from the window, letting the owls in. All six owls flew along the roof of Harry's room before dropping their parcels on his bed. Each took a turn drinking from Hedwig's water bowl before heading back out into the night. Harry gazed at the collection of variously sized parcels on his bed. He checked his small calendar. Sure enough it was July 31, his birthday. His new obsession of self-hatred and vengeance had blinded him even to remember his own birthday. A small smile crept across Harry's face, the first smile that Harry had cracked since summer holiday began. He sat down on the corner of his bed and grasped the first package nearest to him. He immediately recognized the untidy script of his best friend, Ron Weasley. He opened the envelope attached to the package first. Inside were three letters. The first was Ron's.

_Dear Harry,_

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATE! I hope the Muggles are treating you well. If they aren't you better tell the Order. I'm sure Moody would love to turn them all into ferrets like he did Malfoy._

_I know you must be having a hard time and all, dealing with what happened in the Ministry. I hope you're not beating yourself up. It wasn't your fault, mate. Hermione and I are here at HQ. They said that it's too dangerous for you to come here at all this summer. We were thinking of taking a trip to Diagon Alley when we get the school letters. We asked if you could come too and everyone agreed. Someone will owl you when we all go._

_Anyway, I hope you like my gift. I saved all my pocket money this summer to get it for you. Had to find someway to repay for those Omnioculars from the Quidditch World Cup. The guy at Quality Quidditch Supplies said they were the top of the line, indestructible, guaranteed to catch any Snitch. Wicked huh. _

_I'll see you soon mate._

Ron 

Harry put the letter down and picked up Ron's gift. Casting aside the wrapping paper, Harry gasped in spite of himself at the contents. Amidst the torn paper was a pair of Dragonhide Seeker gloves. The tops were covered black scales, harder than the strongest iron. The palms of the gloves were the supplest of hide, much like leather. The fingertips had a series of subtle grips worked into the leather.

"Wow Ron," Harry whispered. Since Umbridge left her post as High Inquisitor, Harry's lifetime ban from playing Quidditch had been lifted. He couldn't wait to get back on a broomstick.

Harry picked up the other two letters. Both were much shorter than Ron's

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday Mr. Vice President. That's right buddy. Since you were generous enough to finance our little enterprise, we have decided to make you a full partner in our joke shop. And as partner you are entitled to a third share of our profits. Since we knew that you would want no part of the money, we deposited it straight into your Gringrott's account. Sorry mate, but you got no choice in the matter._

_Since business is booming, we both have decided that returning to Hogwarts is, frankly, a waste of valuable time and energy. And since we aren't returning we bestow onto you and our ickle Ronny-kins as primary mischief-makers at Hogwarts. Don't worry we'll be sending you lovely care packages to help you get on the right track._

_Yours in mischief,_

_Fred and George _

Harry laughed in spite of himself. The twins had a way to make people laugh and smile. But Vice President of the joke shop? Harry thought that was a bit excessive. He only gave them a thousand Galleons. And from the looks of it, the twins could have paid him back anytime they wanted to. Harry picked up a thin envelope, immediately recognizing Ginny's neat stylish script.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday Harry! I hope everything is going well and that you're having a good summer. I've asked the adults if you could come to Headquarters but they said you need to stay with your relatives for a while longer. Anyway, I hope you like my gift. I had Colin take it after one of the DA meetings. You'll remember that day once you see the picture._

_Enjoy the rest of your summer,_

_Ginny_

_P.S. Ron and Hermione have finally started to date. It only took the two idiots 6 years to act on their feelings. Join the club and make fun of them._

Harry opened the letter's envelope and took hold of a large framed photo. The silver frame glistened in the low light and Harry smiled at the photograph. Ginny was right. He did remember that day…

It was right after he taught the DA how to perform the Patronus Charm. Everyone in the DA grouped together with their Patronus animals flying around their respected owner. The group waved at Harry and the Patroni soared over the group's head. Harry could even see himself in the photo, smiling brightly. His stag stood right in the middle of the photo shining brightly. Harry put the photograph on his dresser where he could look at it without anything in the way. Harry picked up the final letter in the Weasley's package.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday dearie! I hope your summer is going well. I hope your relatives are treating you well. Your last check in letter was not very reassuring. You had me all worried about you. We're back at Headquarters now. I can't tell you much of what's been going on but I can say it's about the same as last summer. Arthur, Tonks and the others are busy with their jobs in the Ministry. We all miss you here and look forward to seeing you soon._

_Love you dearie,_

_Mrs. Weasley_

In spite of himself, Harry smiled as he read about Mrs. Weasley's worrying. While she was the closest thing he ever had to an actual mother, her continuous hen pecking did get annoying after a time. He unwrapped the package that came with the letter: a large batch of Mrs. Weasley's homemade fudge. Harry hadn't eaten all day and dove hungrily into the fudge. After stuffing his face, Harry returned to the rest of the letters and packages on his bed. There was a long, thin box nearest to him. Harry opened the small note attached to the top.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday Harry! This is from all of us at the Order. Mad-Eye wanted you to have it. Now you won't lose one of your buttocks._

_See you soon,_

_Tonks_

Harry opened the package, already knowing what it was. The package reveled a leather wand holster. It had straps that allowed the wearer to attach the holster to their belt, leg, or inner arm. Harry set it aside as he opened more presents.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday! I hope your summer is going well. I'm with Ron and his family at Headquarters. Things aren't as bad here after all that cleaning we did last summer. Not much fun either. The house feels somewhat empty without…Snuffles. I'm very sorry Harry._

_Ron told me you might be coming with us to Diagon Alley soon. I can't wait. I hope you can make it. Enjoy your birthday present. I'll see you soon._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

_PS. I haven't got my O.W.L.'s results yet. Have you gotten yours yet?_

Harry smiled. That's Hermione for you. The whole magical world was going to hell and she was still worried about her grades. The girl had been eligible to graduate since the end of their third year. Harry tore open her gift to revel a thick leather bound book. "What a surprise," muttered Harry sarcastically. He turned the tome over and read its golden title: Defenders of the Light: History's Saviors. Harry flipped through several of its pages, looking at pictures of wizard duels and curses. Harry tossed it back on his bed and turned to the last package. It was the smallest of the bunch and was wrapped in golden paper. Harry first tore open the letter attached to it.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday, my young friend. Things are well here at the Order. You know I can't be specific and why you cannot come and stay here this summer. While I know it is hard staying with the Dursleys all summer, but your protected there and safe from harm. There is one thing that you need to know: your new guardian. After Sirius' untimely and unfortunate death, Remus is to be your godfather in accordance to your father's wishes. However, all people and animals grieve differently. The man in Lupin was able to deal with the loss. The wolf in him, however, was not. Ever since you left school, Lupin has left the Order. He is currently residing in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. Don't worry he is perfectly fine. Hagrid is keeping an eye and ear out for him. Remus just needs some time for the wolf in him to deal with the loss. This brings me to wonder just how you are handling the loss. Knowing all to well the temper you possess I would not be surprised if you were angry. Angry at Voldemort, angry with me, and angry mostly with yourself. I hope that these past two months have quenched your anger towards me. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I must ask for it regardless. I was a fool not to revel your destiny to you sooner. Sometimes even the wisest of men can make stupid decisions. While your anger over all the events that took place last year are justified, you must focus it all on what is at the heart of all the pain. Voldemort, Harry. Everything can be traced back to him and his followers. Do not turn your anger inward and do not vent it on your friends who only mean to help you. Don't let the demons inside you take hold. If they do they will be there forever…_

_In some lighter conversation, I have enclosed your school letter and O.W.L. results. You did very well my boy. I also have a small gift, which you'll want to open as soon as possible. Its contents will help you greatly in the times ahead._

_Yours in magic,_

_Professor Dumbledore_

Harry glared angrily at Dumbledore's letter. The nerve of the old man infuriated him. Hadn't he finally proved himself capable of taking care of himself? Hadn't he express how much he hated being left out of the loop? It's like Dumbledore was making the same mistakes he made last year all over again. Harry crumbled the letter into his clenched fist and threw it across his room. He then picked up the second piece of paper.

O.W.L. Results for Potter, Harry

History of Magic: Acceptable

Herbology: Exceeds Expectations

Charms: Outstanding

Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding

Potions: Outstanding

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding

Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations

Divination: Outstanding

Harry nodded approvingly at his O.W.L. grades. Potions especially. He hadn't thought he'd get anything better than an "E" on the test. Setting the paper aside he picked up Dumbledore's gift. For a moment Harry considered throwing the small box against the wall. Good sense finally won the battle over his anger and Harry opened the box. It was a jewelry box, much like the ones Harry had seen Uncle Vernon give to Aunt Petunia. Wondering why Dumbledore would be sending him jewelry, Harry opened the box. Inside was a small gold ring with a small green emerald mounted upon it. Harry took it out of the box and rolled it between his fingers. A note fell out of the box. Harry picked it up and read it.

_This is a Shield Ring. I had it specially designed to your specifications. When you put it on, it will shield your mind and body against any hostile outside forces. However, overuse will weaken its powers. Therefore continue to practice your Occlumency and stay out of trouble. For the time being only wear the ring outside your relative's house and while you sleep._

_D_

Harry slipped the ring over his finger and immediately felt a cool, calming sensation spread over him. His anger ebbed under the power of the ring and weariness slowly crept over him. Harry glanced at the clock; it was nearly 4 o clock in the morning. He laid down upon his bed, amidst his birthday greetings and presents. He quickly fell into a dreamless sleep; his first good night's rest in two months.


	3. The Planet's End

Chapter III

"The Planet's End"

The Northern Crater was the most desolate place on earth, a frozen wasteland. The surface of the Crater consisted of miles of razor sharp rock and stone. Its pathways were narrow and unstable. One wrong step and you may find yourself plummeting into a lightless crevasse. It was the end of the world…

Deeper and deeper into the planet's core, past the warm reach of sunshine, the small band of rebels journeyed onward. Their faces grim and determined, they marched fearlessly into the deep, headless of the growing number of terrors and monstrosities gathering around them. Leading the column was a young man. His name was Cloud Strife. He wore a dark gray uniform with armor over his left shoulder and forearm. His hair was blonde and very long and spiky. It stuck out in every direction no matter how hard he tried to flatten it out. His hair wasn't the only unique aspect about him. His eyes glowed an eerie ice blue. Upon his back was strapped a massive sword. The sword was made of magical crystal and was nearly as large as the man who used it. Despite the sword's immense size, the young man could wield it as if it were light as a feather. As he walked through the cavern a beautiful girl walked beside him, her hand in his. Her name was Tifa Lockheart. Her endless compassion and kindness was only shadowed by her great beauty. Her long brown hair shimmered in the low light as a smile crossed her flawless features. Cloud and Tifa had been childhood friends in Nibelheim before fate brought them back together to fight for the planet. Both cared greatly for the other, but had always been too shy and embarrassed to admit it.

It seemed that this moment would never come. It seemed as if all of their efforts to save the planet were in vain. But they had finally achieved victory. They defeated the monstrous and angelic forms of the maniacal Sephiroth. HOLY could now destroy METEOR. They had saved the planet and everyone on it. Weary from the difficult battle, Tifa leaned heavily on Cloud's shoulder as they approached Sephiroth's final resting place. The One-Winged-Angel had fallen into a pool of Mako; it's death cries still ringing in the victorious duo's ears.

"Is it finally over?" asked Tifa quietly. "Did we really win?"

"You doubted us?" smirked Cloud. Tifa looked up at Cloud, smiling. As always, Cloud was left breathless by her radiant beauty.

"Of course not," she said. "But it is really incredible that we did isn't it?"

Yes it is," replied Cloud holding her closer. "We survived Tifa. We saved the planet. Let's go home." The pair turned to leave when Cloud suddenly fell to his knees. Holding his head, he involuntarily began to scream in pain. Tifa rushed to his side, trying desperately trying to calm him. She had seen this behavior too many times before. It happened when Sephiroth activated the mind control that had been brainwashed into Cloud's subconscious. She thought she had broken its hold over him when they fell into the Lifestream in Mideel.

"Cloud!" she screamed as she tried to hold him still. Cloud rolled around the ground screaming, "He's alive!" over and over again. He broke away from Tifa and stumbled towards the Mako pool. Tifa ran as fast as she could, but couldn't make it in time. Cloud plunged head first into the glowing pool. For several long drawn out seconds the surface of the pool was as still as glass. Cloud suddenly surfaced in the center of the pool, to far for Tifa to reach out and help. Cloud thrashed in the Mako; still clearly in pain and still screaming, "He's alive!" Tifa scrambled along the bank, frantically looking for someway to help him.

Suddenly, the bare white torso of Sephiroth himself burst forth from the pool. Surfacing right next to Cloud, Sephiroth grabbed onto the thrashing Cloud and dragged him under. The two disappeared beneath the pool's glossy surface, without a trace. Tifa stood at the bank, waiting and hoping against all hope that Cloud would resurface from the depths. When no souls returned to the pool's surface, Tifa sank down on the bank, sobbing freely. A sorrowful rage began to build up with in her. She began to pound the rocky earth beneath her, her tears mingling with the Mako washing up besides her.

"Cloud…" she whispered. "Please don't leave me…"

-VII-

Cloud fell. He fell for miles and miles into the depths of the planet. Surrounded in white light, Cloud plummeted unconscious through the endless darkness. Cloud's prone body passed into a massive chamber. Strands of green Lifestream blew past him like gusts of wind. Above him hung a large golden orb, the very core of the planet. It glowed like an underground sun, casting shadows along the chambers walls. Cloud passed beneath the golden orb and entered the Lifestream. A familiar presence washed over Cloud and he awakened, still traveling through the heart of the planet. Cloud's eyes opened and gazed upon his enemy.

'Sephiroth was waiting for me this whole time. The final confrontation…' thought Cloud. "It's time we finished this Sephiroth! You will die for your crimes!" shouted Cloud as he landed across from his nemesis. Sephiroth stood ready, bare-chested his sword drawn.

"Come puppet. My time is now. You cannot stop me!" Sephiroth cried as he leapt at Cloud. His massive sword, The Masamune, slashed downwards aiming for Cloud's chest. Caught off guard, Cloud barely managed to deflect the blade with his own. The battle was soon joined. Both sides fought fiercely, Sephiroth slowing gaining the upper hand. Cloud stood away from him, breathing heavily. He was bleeding from many wounds and was having difficulty lifting his own massive sword. Cloud began to despair. He knew he was losing and could see Sephiroth approaching laughing, not a scratch on him.

"What is the matter Cloud? Are you still not strong enough to defeat me? How pathetic," sneered Sephiroth. "It makes me sad to see you like this, a dog crawling on its belly. I considered you my rival, the one man who could possibly defy and battle me." Sephiroth began to circle Cloud, taunting him as he spoke.

"I dreamt of this battle between us for years. I saw us battling up and down mountains and across seas. We battled for days, trading blow after blow. It was glorious. And now it's just a disappointment. You sicken me puppet." Sephiroth strode towards Cloud, an evil smile upon his face.

"It's time to die, Cloud. Don't worry about Tifa and the rest of your little friends. I'll take care of them just like your pretty Cetra girlfriend. Only this time you wont be around to watch." Sephiroth began to laugh sinisterly.

Cloud lay helpless. He knew he was finished. He flashed back to the City of the Ancients, to Aeris' murder. Except this time it wasn't Aeris kneeling on the alter, waiting to die. It was Tifa. She had taken Aeris' place and he could see Sephiroth falling from the sky to impale her…

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Cloud rose to his feet, leaning on his sword at first. Sephiroth stopped his advance, astonished that Cloud could still move. Cloud lifelessly held his sword as he limped towards Sephiroth.

"You've taken away my entire life. I was created in your image. I never even had my own life to live. I was just an extension of you! You took my hometown, my friends, MY MOTHER! AERIS! You heartless murderer! I will make you pay!" roared cloud as he blindly charged Sephiroth. Cloud's rage fueled his broken body as he swung his massive sword recklessly. Sephiroth easily dodged each attack. He slipped through each swing with ease. At the right moment, Sephiroth ducked under another one of Cloud's errant blows and counterattacked. He plunged his sword through the remains of Cloud's shredded armor deeply into his stomach. Blood began to pour out of the wound onto the rocky ground beneath him as the glowing light began to fade from his eyes. Cloud fell to his knees, completely drained of energy, as Sephiroth cruelly removed his blade. He circled and taunted Cloud as he wiped the blood from the sword.

"Make me pay? How pathetic. Mother has foreseen your future, puppet. You have none, it ends right here. You will die!" he cackled manically. Cloud was beginning to lose consciousness, the great amount of blood loss making everything grow dim. An overwhelming sense of failure swept over Cloud.

"I'm sorry everyone. I failed…I'm sorry…"

"Tifa… he whispered as he breathed his last breath.


	4. Explosion of Life

Chapter IV

"Explosion of Life"

Darkness. Endless Darkness was all Cloud could see as he floated through space. He wandered through this darkness for what seemed like a life age. He was the only thing there, alone in the dark. Cloud began to despair, his tough exterior broke down and he began to cry. Suddenly, a large red ball, the kind he played with when he was a child, bounced past. A small girl, with pink ribbons in her pigtails, ran past Cloud after the ball. Taking chase, Cloud began to hear bell-like laughter as he ran after the girl. The ball bounced towards a young woman. She was beautiful. Her long brown hair spilled over her back in a tight braid and she wore a long pink dress with a red jacket over top. Cloud immediately recognized the woman. Her face had filled his every dream and every nightmare ever since the day he met her. And the day she died. It was Aeris. She bent over the child, giving her back the ball.

"Here you go. Go play now," she said kindly. Looking up, she saw Cloud. "Hello Cloud," she said smiling brightly. It seemed her smile alone lit up the very darkness surrounding them. She walked towards him slowly.

"Aeris…" mumbled Cloud, in complete shock.

"Yes, Cloud. It's me."

"But how? You died."

"Yes, I did."

"Does that mean that…" whispered Cloud.

Aeris nodded. "I'm sorry Cloud. You're dead too," she said softly, comforting him. Cloud reached out and touched her cheek. His hand grazed her warm cheek, just as he once did when they lived. He drew his hand back in shock. Aeris reached down and took his hand in her own. Placing his hand back on her cheek, she looked deeply into his glowing blue eyes.

"Cloud, you can't stay here. You have to go back."

"I don't understand Aeris. Is that even possible?"

"By yourself, no. But I can help you. It's one of the fringe benefits of being the last Ancient. Cloud, you must go back and beat Sephiroth, but you can't kill him. Nothing is his fault."

"What do you mean nothing is his fault? He murdered you Aeris! He killed me! He's about to drop METEOR on to the Planet and slaughter thousands of people! Everything is his fault! If it wasn't for him, we would both still be alive and still…together." Aeris blushed heavily at Cloud's last statement. She composed herself quickly.

"Sephiroth, he's being controlled. The Planet told me while I was praying for Holy. A wizard from another world has been controlling him for sometime. Ever since he attacked Nibelheim 5 years ago. He hasn't been able to control any of his actions. The wizard, a man named Voldemort, has been forcing to do all these terrible things against his will." Cloud stepped back for a moment, absorbing the new information.

"So this whole time we've been fighting the wrong man," he said somberly. "It was all a waste."

Aeris clasped her hands together as she leaned towards him, their faces only inches apart.

"No Cloud. We fought for the Planet and the Planet still needs you. And as much as I want you to stay here with me, she needs you too."

Cloud's face grew bright red. "Umm, what? Who? I don't know what you mean," he stammered.

Aeris giggled at his embarrassment. "So, after all this time your both still to blind to see huh. Trust me Cloud, don't wait too long to tell her how you feel. Otherwise she'll be gone forever. Like me…"

"Aeris…" Cloud began.

"Shh," she interrupted, placing a finger on his lips. "It's time Cloud. Go back, defeat Sephiroth, free him, and save the Planet," said Aeris as she leaned forward. She kissed Cloud passionately on the lips. The two embraced each other for a long moment until Aeris broke apart. "Good bye Cloud," she whispered as she began to fade away. Her spirit disappeared into the darkness, leaving Cloud alone once again.

-VII-

Cloud reached up and touched his lips. He could still feel the effects of the kiss on his lips. Reflecting on what she had said, Cloud felt a sudden rush of life flowing back into him. With a flash of bright light, Cloud was back inside his body. Back, lying on the cavern floor in the center of the Planet. Cloud stirred, slowly regaining his composure. Shaking off the sense of vertigo, he stood up. He quickly patted himself down, his wounds completely healed.

Sephiroth was still there, wiping the blood off his sword. Only several seconds had past, compared to the timelessness of death. Cloud's eyes quickly swept the cold ground. Finding his discarded sword, Cloud picked it up. Grasping its handle, he let the tip scratch across the ground sending up sparks and a harsh scraping noise. Sephiroth spun around, his eyes wide in panic and surprise.

"No! That's impossible. You're dead!"

"Not yet," Cloud smirked at his killer and drew his sword into an en guard position.

Now it was Sephiroth who recklessly rushed into attack. Cloud waited patiently. Sephiroth kept coming even as a blaze of red fire exploded at Cloud's feet. "OMNISLASH!" screamed Cloud as he met Sephiroth's charge. Moving faster than Sephiroth thought possible, Cloud energized his sword and struck him across the chest. Blow after blow rained down onto Sephiroth, powerless and defenseless to stop them. Weakened and heavily wounded, Sephiroth was barely able to stand. Cloud momentarily paused his assault. Summoning all his strength, all his power, all his rage, and all his love into the sword, Cloud leapt high into the air. "THIS IS FOR AERIS!" he cried as he slammed into Sephiroth, the energy exploding in a great blast of white light.

When the light faded, Cloud stood above the fallen Sephiroth, his sword tip at the exposed throat ready to finish it.

_"Don't kill him Cloud!"_

Aeris' strong, calm voice soothed Cloud's rage. Lowering the sword, Cloud walked away. Reaching the tunnel, he began to climb back towards the surface. All around him, green waves of Lifestream began to burst through the rock, guiding him to safety.

-VII-

Cloud eventually crawled out of the tunnel and back into the pool of Mako. He broke through the surface, right into Tifa's hands. She embraced him tightly as he floundered on the bank, totally exhausted.

"Oh Cloud, you dumb jerk! Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"It's good to see you too, Tifa. Glad to be back," choked out Cloud. The two sat silently for a moment until the massive cavern began to shake violently. Razor sharp stalagmites began to fall from the ceiling like drops of rain. The pool of Mako began to turn white and boil furiously. Cloud and Tifa scrambled to their feet and began to run out of the cavern. Stopping in the relative safety of the cavern entrance, Cloud and Tifa observed the destruction. The pool overflowed its banks, spilling out onto the cavern floor as massive crevasses split the entire cavern.

"Cloud, what's going on?" shouted Tifa over the collapsing cavern.

"It's Holy! This place is going to blow! We got to get out of here!" cried Cloud. The two companions ran from the collapsing crater. The pair ran through the crater's many chambers and passageways, dodging falling rocks and bursts of boiling hot Mako.

Finally reaching the massive mouth of the crater, Cloud and Tifa managed, with great difficulty, to climb the rapidly deteriorating steep slopes. Cloud climbed out first before reaching back down to help Tifa out. The two began to run as a white glow filled the bowels of the crater. Half running, half stumbling down the rocky cliff, Cloud and Tifa did not make it very far. Turning a blind corner, Cloud heard a low muttering, almost like an incantation. Suddenly, dozens of snake-like ropes burst from the ground, ensnaring Cloud tightly. He fell to the ground, unable to over a muscle. The harder he struggled, the tighter the ropes bound him. Cloud tried to call a warning to Tifa, but was too late. Tifa was also captured in living rope and she fell beside him. The two tried to fight themselves free until two men walked out from behind a large boulder. The first man walked tall, with a purpose. Obviously the leader of the pair, he gave off an evil aura and reeked of death. Beside him, a smaller older man limped behind, carrying an unconscious Sephiroth on his shoulder.

"Ah, you must be Cloud Strife," said the first man, his voice closer to a snake's hiss than a man's voice. "And the lovely Tifa Lockheart. My pawn here," he gestured to Sephiroth's limp body, "has told me so much about you."

"Who the hell are you?" growled Tifa angrily as she struggled to free herself.

"Ha, ha. Forgive me my dear. I am so famous in my own world that I often forget to introduce myself. I am Lord Voldemort," he said with a humorous bow.

"You're the one that's been pulling Sephiroth's strings," interrupted Cloud. "You caused all of this. You're responsible!" Tifa looked from Voldemort to Cloud than back to Voldemort, her face in total shock.

"That is correct Cloud. Sephiroth has been under my control. He has been for several years in fact," smiled Voldemort proudly.

Tifa began to cry. She began to shake violently in her sobs. "Why? Why did you do all this to us?" she screamed at him.

Voldemort began to laugh, sending chills down Tifa's spine. He knelt down, reached out, and ran his finger down her cheek to her chin. She shuddered at his touch. "Oh Tifa my dear. This was all just a whim I had. When I took hold of Sephiroth, I wanted to see just how powerful he really was. So I unleashed him upon your world to see what he would make of it. It was all a sort of experiment, a test." Voldemort smiled as he stood up. "And not a totally failed one either. He did cause a bit of a panic, didn't he Wormtail?'

"Y-yes m-master," whimpered the second man, still holding Sephiroth upon his back. Voldemort let out another sadistic laugh, which his servant half-heartedly returned.

Something snapped inside Cloud. Flashbacks of all the pain and suffering caused by Sephiroth's manipulation overwhelmed his senses. Witnessing the destruction of Sector 7, the countless deaths of soldiers and civilians in the WEAPON attacks, watching his friends suffer day by day, the smell of blood on his hands, Aeris' murder…

"A test…" he growled. "It was all just a test!" he roared. With this newfound fury fueling his strength, Cloud burst through his bonds. Grabbing his sword, Cloud swiftly rushed at Voldemort, faster than the wizard's eyes could follow. Cloud leapt into the air, sword raised high above his head, just waiting to strike the dark Lord down. The sword swung downward, shining in the glowing light from the oncoming blast of Holy. Voldemort dodged Cloud's Braver technique at the last second. Cloud didn't slow his charge, now his path was aimed at the silver-handed man carrying Sephiroth, Wormtail he had been called. Crashing downwards, Cloud swung his sword at the man's balding head. Caught off guard, Wormtail had only a split second to defend himself. Dropping Sephiroth like a sack of potatoes, he managed to throw his silvery metallic hand in the sword's path. But the blow was too powerful to be stopped. It cleaved through the arm. The hand flew across the air, landing nearby in a pool of silvery blood. Wormtail fell down beside his discarded hand, sobbing and screaming loudly. Cloud immediately turned his attention back to Voldemort. There was a low roar beneath them all, like the sound of rushing water. Voldemort's laughter had become the heavy breathing of seething anger. The anger seemed to pour off him like a demonic aura of evil. Plunging his hand into his long, black robes, Voldemort drew a thing wand from a hidden pocket.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he cursed. A bolt of green lightning burst from the wand tip headed directly at Cloud. With no time to dodge, Cloud prepared to meet the curse head on. He braced for impact, preparing to take another trip into the dark oblivion of death. The roar grew and grew until it was deafening to the people upon the surface. A wall of green Lifestream burst out of the ground like a geyser around between Cloud and Voldemort. The bolt of magic rocketed into the wall of Lifestream, deflecting harmlessly skyward. The very earth beneath their feet began to tremble and shake violently. As the blue-white glow of Holy began to burst through the rocks beneath them, Voldemort searched for an escape route. Grabbing a low flying stone. Voldemort pointed his wand at it.

"_Portus Amentia_," he muttered and the rock glowed bright blue for a moment before fading quickly. "Wormtail hurry!" he ordered. Wormtail quickly ran to his master's side. "Bring the puppet you fool!" yelled Voldemort. Wormtail, still sobbing over the pain and loss of his arm, dragged Sephiroth's limp body towards Voldemort. "Quickly damn you! Take the portkey and God help you if you lose him!" commanded Voldemort viciously as a burst of molten rock flew past his head. Wormtail picked up the rock, muttered something inaudible over the roar of Holy, and vanished. From behind the geyser of Lifestream, Cloud could see Voldemort pick up the discarded rock. The Dark Lord turned and faced Cloud one last time. He brought his wand up in a mock salute before laughing manically. He spoke the mystery incantation and vanished after his servant.

That threat gone, Cloud immediately took action. Quickly, he cut Tifa's bonds and helped her to her feet.

"Cloud!" she shouted over the noise. "What's going on?"

"The whole crater is about to blow! Holy is firing!" replied Cloud. His eyes swept the area, looking for some way around the geysers of Lifestream and bursts of molten rock. Alone, he could make it through the geysers and explosions. His training in SOLDIER had enabled him to survive such situations and his armored uniform offered more protection than it appeared too. Tifa was another matter. Without the training and armor, she wouldn't make it more than a few steps. Hope dimmed in his eyes as he refused to leave her side.

'Hell, I already died once today. Wasn't that bad I guess,' he thought as he looked at Tifa. She met his gaze and knew exactly what had just gone through his head. She knew he could get himself out, but he was staying with her instead. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she sank to her knees, defeated. Cloud joined her on the quaking ground, wrapping his arms around her in a vain attempt to comfort her.

Trying to remain cheerful, Tifa smiled lightly. "At least we saved the Planet."

Cloud returned her smile with his very best. "Yeah, we're heroes Tifa. Saviors of the Planet."

"Cloud, there's something I need to tell you," said Tifa as she snuggled closer to Cloud, tightening his embrace. "Ever since we were kids I've been in…"

Holy interrupted Tifa's confession as a blast of white fire burst from the center of the crater. At the last minute, Cloud dove over top of Tifa. He shielded her with his own body as the world exploded around them. The last thing they saw was each other before the world was engulfed in white light.


	5. A Brave New World

Chapter V

"A Brave New World"

"Ah, you're awake. Hold on let me help you. Try to open your eyes," asked a older but sweet voice.

"They hurt. Everything hurts," came a weak reply.

"Yes, I know. I'm afraid you will be quite sore for a short while. Now open your eyes and follow the light. That's it very good. Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?"

"Water please." The thirst was overbearing.

"Here you are."

"Thank you. Where am I?"

"I'm afraid I don't have all the answers you would like. Please go back to sleep. You need your rest. Answers will come later. Now, now no arguing. Here drink this. It will help you sleep."

-VII-

"Professor Dumbledore, sir. She's awake again."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey. Please leave us for a few moments. I will tend to her."

Tifa sat up from her bed. A quick glance of her surroundings reveled she was in some sort of hospital. A series of beds lined the room. One had at the end had curtains drawn up around it. Looking around the room, Tifa saw no equipment. There were no doctor's instruments, no heart monitors, and no visible medicine of any kind. Next to her bed sat a man. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long silvery robes. Half-moon spectacles framed his kind, grandfatherly face. His eyes, a light blue, sparkled with a hidden, incredible power.

"How do you feel, my dear?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "You've been in and out of consciousness for quite some time."

"W-Where am I?" asked Tifa, confused by here new surroundings. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. You are in the hospital wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was walking along the school grounds when I saw a bright light near our neighboring forest. When I went to investigate, I found you and your spiky haired companion nearly dead. You've been in our care for the past two weeks."

A look of shock lit up Tifa's face. "Oh my God. Cloud!" she cried. "Where is he?" she demanded. Dumbledore turned and pointed towards the curtained-off bed. Tifa immediately leapt out of her bed and rushed towards the end of the row. Madam Pomfrey cut her off halfway.

"Please Miss, go back to bed. You need rest," she politely asked. But Tifa was in no mood for the good doctor's orders.

"Get out of my way!" roared Tifa as she roughly shoved madam Pomfrey onto the floor. Angrily ripping back the curtain, Tifa stopped dead in her tracks. On the bed lay Cloud. He was barely recognizable. His face was badly burned, covered in red scar tissue. His exposed upper body was heavily wrapped in blood stained bandages. Tifa remained stunned above Cloud's bed, unable to move or speak. Dumbledore walked besides Tifa, placed a hand on her shoulder, and broke the eerie silence.

"When I found you, he was still slightly conscious. He was covered in severe wounds, but you remained mostly unharmed. He said something about a blast of white fire. And just before he lost consciousness he asked me to take care of you. From what I could gather, he shielded you from whatever it was that did this with his own body," said Dumbledore gravely.

Tears began to steam down Tifa's face. "Cloud, you noble jerk," she whispered. She knelt down beside his bed, now openly crying. Looking up at Dumbledore and the now recovered Madam Pomfrey, Tifa first offered her apologies for knocking over the nurse. Then she composed herself and offered her heartfelt concern.

"What are you doing for him?" she asked weakly.

Madam Pomfrey walked around the bed and began checking Cloud's bandages. "We can't figure out how to heal him. I don't know why, but all our healing magic and potions have had no effect on him. All we've been able to manage is to keep him comfortable and keep the pain bearable. I'm sorry my dear," she said. "He slipped into a coma-like state a few days ago."

"No," muttered Tifa. "There has to be something…" Memories of the countless times Cloud had saved her life in battle flooded her mind. The pain of losing him in Mideel resurfaced as fresh wounds. She remembered the night in Nibelheim, at the well. The promise that he made to her, to come and save her whenever she needed him, the promise that he fulfilled time and time again. After all the times he saved her when her life was on the line, she was now powerless to save him. Standing up, she gazed down at him hopelessly. It suddenly struck her how odd it was to see him without his SOLDIER uniform on…

The idea struck her like a thunderbolt. Quickly turning to Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey she excitedly asked, "Where are our things?"

"Your things?" wondered Madam Pomfrey.

"What is there an echo in here? Yeah lady the stuff we had with us. My gloves, his sword, our things," said Tifa rashly.

Madam Pomfrey pointed to a neatly folded pile lying across the room. Tifa ran over to the pile and began to dig through its contents. Tossing weapons, clothes, and small trinkets aside, she finally returned to Cloud's bedside clutching a small bottle.

"What is that?" inquired Madam Pomfrey as Tifa unscrewed the bottle's cap.

"It's called Phoenix Down. It can revive people from unconsciousness, I hope," she replied as she poured the sparkling golden liquid into Cloud's mouth. Green sparks filled the air above Cloud's prone body. They slowly fluttered downward and sank into Cloud's body.

After the last spark entered Cloud's body, there came a sharp intake of breath. His chest began to rise and fall beneath his bed sheets. Slowly Cloud began to open his eyes. He stared off into empty space for a moment before focusing on Tifa's brightly smiling face.

"T-Tifa…" he whispered weakly.

"It's ok now," she replied, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Rest now Cloud. We'll figure things out when you're all better." Cloud nodded slightly, sighed, and fell right to sleep.

Both Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey stood in shock at Cloud's sudden recovery. Both had tried to revive the boy for hours on end with no success. Dumbledore cam to his senses first. He turned away from Cloud to address Tifa.

"Well my dear, I am sure that you are very tired from your ordeal. Let us find you some suitable lodgings while your friend regains his strength. Pompy dear, Tifa will be staying in the Gryffindor dormitories for the time being. Please send both of us word of her friend's changing condition." With that Dumbledore led Tifa through the castle to the Gryffindor tower. There Tifa found comforts she could ever dream of back in Midgar. She climbed into a large, feathery, 4-post bed and she slept comfortably for first time in months.

-VII-

Cloud mostly slept for those first several days. Tifa sat by his bedside everyday. She talked to him while he was awake and silently watched over him while he slept. As Cloud recovered, he became a nightmare of a patient. He continually attempted to get out of bed and walk around; he even tried to do some physical training the one afternoon. Tifa and Madam Pomfrey were constantly scolding him it.

After nearly a week, Madam Pomfrey had managed to heal all of Cloud's wounds, not even leaving a single scar. Fully healed and having regained most of his strength, Cloud finally left the hospital wing. He explored the massive castle with Tifa, wandering through its hidden passages and marveling at its many magical wonders. One morning, Dumbledore sent an owl with a note to Cloud, asking them to meet him. After breakfast, Cloud and Tifa met the old wizard outside near the front gate of the castle. The three of them walked across the school grounds, taking a moment to wave at the giant squid in the lake, which waved back enthusiastically. Dumbledore led them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where he originally found them. Once there he retold his story of finding the pair. He then looked at Cloud.

"Now then, Mr. Strife. Why don't you tell me your tale? There are a great many mysteries surrounding you and your arrival at my doorstep. In fact I believe there are events that Miss Lockheart is confused about."

"Like what happened when you fell into the pool of Mako with Sephiroth," added Tifa. Cloud sighed and sat down on a nearby tree stump.

"O.K. Should I start at the beginning or the very beginning?" he asked.

"That won't be necessary. Tifa has already told me all about the adventures of AVALANCE up until your fall into the pool," replied Dumbledore.

Cloud nodded and began to recite what happened to him with Sephiroth in the center of the Planet. Noticing Tifa's growing concern and worry as he continued his story, Cloud omitted the aspects of the story about him dying and being brought back to life by Aeris. Both Dumbledore and Tifa were keen listeners; neither interrupted him as he continued. When all that had needed to be said was said, Dumbledore stood up and walked a short way, his face taunt with thought.

"From what you have said, this Sephiroth character is very dangerous and powerful man."

"You have no idea," said Cloud gravely. "He was a legend on our world for his limitless strength and abilities long before he was possessed. It seems that this Voldemort guy amplified his power even more."

"And yet you fought him on several occasions, often alone. That is very admirable, my young friend. And it is with that in mind that I would like to ask you and Tifa to attend Hogwarts this term," asked Dumbledore. Both Cloud and Tifa looked at one another and back at Dumbledore with amused faces. Cloud even managed to crack a small attempt at a laugh.

"Why?" asked Tifa. "We aren't wizards or anything."

"Ah, but you are magic users, my dear. While it is not the same type of magic we teach here, it is still magic nonetheless. This Sephiroth is a very dangerous adversary. If he is still under Voldemort's control, I must ask for your help in stopping him again on our world. You are the only ones who have any idea as to what we are up against. Will you help us save our world as you saved your own? Will you help us?"


	6. A Waking Nightmare

Chapter VI

"A Waking Nightmare"

"Oh why, why do I always have to deliver bad news?" cried a hunched over, hooded man. "The Master hates bad news and he always takes it out on poor Wormtail." Wormtail was a balding old man with a hunched back and long whisker-like facial hair. His posture and mannerisms was very rat like, always sniveling and cowering from shadow to shadow. He was an Animagus; he could become a small rat at will. A convenient trait for when one needs to escape dangerous situations, especially when one is a raging coward.

Wormtail glanced at what was once his left hand, taken just below the wrist. "Master always punishes me, even when it's not my fault. First, I give him my beautiful hand so he can be reborn, then he gives me a new magical silver hand, but takes it away the after we failed in the attack of the Department of Mysteries," sobbed Wormtail. "I help the Master and then Master hurts me." Wormtail continued to walk, almost scurrying, deep into the abandoned castle.

"WORMTAIL!" came a cold, reptilian voice, bellowing out of the dungeons.

"Coming Master!" called Wormtail, running down into the dungeons as fast as his little legs could carry him. It took only a moment for him to reach his Master's door. Wormtail opened the large wooden door and stood in the threshold of his Master's chamber. The room was far larger than it appeared from the outside; it had been magically expanded. The bulk of the room looked like the laboratory of a mad scientist. Potions brew in test tubes and self-stirring cauldrons, rack upon racks of strange magical ingredients lined the walls, and various magical items sparked and whirled with their own energies. The remainder of the room had been magically furnished into luxurious living quarters. A large four-post bed, an imposing desk, and a sofa set; all a dark green color; were spread atop a lush green carpet.

'_The Dark Lord still has expensive tastes. He lives in riches while his followers wallow in misery_,' thought Wormtail as he entered.

"What was that Wormtail? I didn't catch all of that," hissed the Dark Lord. Wormtail quickly cowered into the doorway. He forgot the Master was an expert in the art of Occlumency, mind reading.

"N-N-Nothing my lord," stammered Wormtail.

"Hmm, I thought so. How is my puppet? Have you healed all his wounds yet? It has been over a week and I am growing impatient."

Wormtail fully stepped into his lord's chamber, for the first time realizing the depths of his Master's madness. Almost every inch of the walls was covered in press clippings and pages from the Daily Prophet. Every clip was either about the Dark Lord's own accomplishments, appealing to his vanity, or about the accomplishments of Harry Potter. Each picture of Potter had a small hole in its center, remains of past target practice. A large green and silver Slytherin House Banner occupied the only space not covered by pictures.

Wormtail slowly walked towards his seated Master. Fortunately, the large chair had its back turned towards the door. Wormtail didn't want to face his master with bad news. "My lord, word has just arrived from the dungeons. The puppet is awake, his wounds are beginning to heal."

"It's about time," growled Voldemort. "I can finally put my plans into action."

"Milord, the puppet isn't under the Imperious Curse anymore. We don't know how, but he seemed to have fought it off while he was unconscious," said Wormtail nervously. "Now that his strength is returning, he's becoming too powerful for controlling."1

Voldemort stood up in rage. "You fool! My control over him is vital to our plans. He's lucky I even bothered to save his ignorant ass before his world blew up!" roared the Dark Lord. After a strained deep breath, the Dark Lord tried to calm himself. "Wormtail, is he still in the castle?"

"Yes, my lord," Wormtail answered nervously. "I sealed his room but I fear it will not hold for very long.

The Dark Lord's eyes burned red. "Very well. I don't have much time. I need you to go to the supply room and gather the following items for me." Voldemort quickly jotted a few things down on a nearby piece of parchment. "Hurry! If you don't return within five minutes you will lose more than a hand. Do you understand?" he asked menacingly.

Wormtail looked away, unable to look his master in the eyes. "Yes, my lord. I'll be back in just a moment." Wormtail took the list and disappeared with a loud pop. Voldemort tore into various reference books, tossing books over his shoulder when he didn't find what he was looking for. Wormtail returned, appearing so close to his master that he knocked Voldemort over. The Dark Lord crashed onto the ground as well as several bottles of strange liquid Wormtail had been carrying.

"ARGGH!" roared the dark one in frustration. He quickly looked to vent his anger. Pulling his wand from the folds of his cloak, the Dark Lord quickly pointed it at Wormtail. "CRUCIO!" he bellowed as Wormtail cried out and withered in pain.

"Please, please my lord! No more!" begged Wormtail. Voldemort put his wand away, leaving Wormtail a smoking pile upon the floor.

"Go back and get more potions, Wormtail. Do not dare show your sniveling face, rat or human, in this room until you have brewed new ones!" demanded Voldemort.

"Y-Yes, my lord," sniffed Wormtail as he limped away. Voldemort gathered up the remains of the items Wormtail had brought with a wave of his wand. The broken bottles repaired themselves and the various liquids returned to their respected containers arranged neatly along the tabletop. Wormtail had caused nothing more than a temporary inconvenience. Voldemort picked up a large, silver medallion from the table. He began to manipulate the heavy object along his fingers, running his long nails along the runes engraved upon its surface. A small smile spread across Voldemort's serpentine features. He had a plan.

-VII-

It was the pain that woke him. As a SOLDIER, he had experienced pain and torture many times before. Each of those times was dwarfed by the severity of the pain he had awakened to. Slowly Sephiroth rose to a sitting position on a cot-like bed. He felt weak and he hated it. He had never felt weak his entire life. His body was covered in bloodstained bandages and his sword, his beloved Masamune, lay propped up in a far corner with his clothes and armor. Making it to the edge of the bed proved arduous. He sat and observed his surroundings. Confused and disoriented, he placed his head in his hands, desperately trying to remember…

"_Reversia Obliviate_," came a low hiss.

Memories and images came flashing back to Sephiroth like a hammer blow. Memories of a long forgotten childhood came first. The horrifying experiments of Hojo and Dr. Gast befouled his mind once again. The terrifying truth of his creation was rekindled within his consciousness. He saw a brief glimpse of his mother, Lucrecia, holding a small blonde haired babe with light blue eyes. The tranquil image of a mother and child vanished as quickly as it had come. Images of SOLDIER came next. Flashes of the brutal training, and the psychological tests and conditioning were bad enough, but then came the battles on Wutai. The final battle stood out in particular. Sephiroth saw himself alone on the battlefield, his own army dead from the waves of Wutai soldiers. His army, the one that he had been given command of by Shin-ra. He led them not to victory, only to their deaths. He watched, again, as waves after wave of enemies cutting through his troops. He remembered being along on the battlefield, surrounded by the enemy. As the Wutai soldiers closed in for the kill, Sephiroth saw himself wait patiently. He saw green fire explode around his feet. His watched as the Ultima magic exploded in waves of green fire, decimating the entire Wutai army. It took a few moments for all the smoke and dust to clear. Sephiroth relived the horrible sight of the magic's aftermath again in startling realism. The sight of the bodies rotting in the tropical sun, their eyes staring blankly upwards, their mouths forever emitting a soundless scream. Sephiroth saw the rivers of blood slowly running along the floor of his cell, he could feel the blood on his hands. The grotesque memory of Wutai disappeared in a bright flash. Nibelheim came next. He remembered the battle against Voldemort in the basement of the Shin-ra mansion. He saw for the first time the horrors he committed under Voldemort's control. He saw the murder of President Shin-ra. In the City of the Ancients he witnessed the murder, his murder of Aeris. He butchered the poor girl in cold blood. He saw the primordial engines of destruction: the WEAPONS. He awakened many of them: Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald, and Ultimate. He relived the final battle with Cloud in the Planet's core. He remembered losing…

The memories vanished in a blast of white light. The force of the mental shock knocked Sephiroth backwards off the bed. He fell onto the cold stone floor clutching his head, breathing heavily. The fall to the floor had re-aggravated several of his injuries; blood began to pool in multiple bandages across his chest.

A high, cold laugh pierced the silence.

"Ha Ha! The truth always hurts more than any amount of lies," sneered the voice from the shadows. The voice tore through Sephiroth's daze like a whirlwind. Rage replaced confusion and fueled his weary body.

"YOU!" he shouted as he rose to his feet. Spying his sword propped up in a nearby corner, Sephiroth made a dash for it. At his full strength, he would have reached it before the blink of an eye. However, he wasn't at full strength, he wasn't even at half. Stumbling for his blade, he made an easy target.

Voldemort chuckled to himself as the pale warrior lunged for the sword. Taking practiced aim he traced Sephiroth's path with his wand. He waited until Sephiroth was almost in reach of the sword to curse him.

"Crucio," he said simply. Sephiroth fell to the Cruciatus Curse, withering in pain. The curse reopened his wounds and this increased the already blinding pain two-fold.

Voldemort delighted in his former puppet's pain. Like a painter admiring a finished masterpiece, Voldemort reveled in his handiwork. He held the curse for nearly a minute, soaking in the cries of suffering. Stepping back, he chastised Sephiroth.

"Have you had enough yet? Hmm?" He let out a great hissing laugh. Removing the medallion from the recesses of his robes, Voldemort stood over the recovering Sephiroth.

"Since the Imperius Curse has failed me, I believe it's time to try something a little more powerful," sneered Voldemort. Holding the medallion in front of him and pointing his wand at Sephiroth's chest, Voldemort began to chant:

_"Ash Nazg Durbatulûk! Ash Nazg Durbatulûk! Ash Nazg Durbatulûk!"_

A white mist burst from the tip of the wand as the changing continued. It materialized into a ghostly hand. The hand snaked its way towards Sephiroth. Sephiroth waved his arm at the spectral hand, trying desperately to fight it off. The hand continued towards his chest, his own hand passing straight throw the spell as if it was nothing more than smoke. The spell hand reared back and plunged forward into Sephiroth's wounded chest. The warrior shuddered as if a gallon of ice water had been poured onto his head. The hand remained twitching inside his chest, as if it was rummaging around for something. Voldemort pulled his wand back, commanding the hand to return. The hand burst from Sephiroth's chest, clutching a golden orb. Sephiroth gasped in both pain and surprise as the hand slowly crept back to Voldemort. Voldemort directed the hand towards the medallion he was still holding. The hand flew into the waiting medallion with the golden orb still held tightly within its grasp. Voldemort clutched the glowing medallion triumphantly. Sephiroth sprawled out upon the floor, his eyes rolling back into his head. Voldemort began to laugh again.

"Do you believe that ever person has a soul, Sephiroth?" he chuckled. "It's true you know. Every single one of us has a soul, no matter how good or evil you are. I have one, that worthless rat Wormtail has one, even you had one," he snickered. Sephiroth slowly rose up from the floor. His eyes stared Sephiroth raised himself up to one knee, using the bed as support. Still holding his chest and barely breathing, he stared up at Voldemort with glazed eyes.

Again Voldemort let out another sadistic laugh. "I used an ancient powerful magic; a very powerful dark magic. It's called The Dementor's Kiss. You see, when a Dementor pulls back its hood it means that you are damned. They latch onto their victim's mouth and suck their soul from their bodies. A person can still live without a soul. They exist in a zombie-like fashion. Your soul has just been ripped from your body and placed into this lovely little trinket I have here." Voldemort dangled the medallion in front of Sephiroth, laughing furiously. "You now belong to me, my hapless friend. YOUR SOUL IS MINE!"

Voldemort began to circle across the room, still laughing manically. "From now on, you cannot move until I say you can move. There will not be another thought to cross your mind unless I put it there myself. Now stand up!" Voldemort barked the command.

Sephiroth rose from the floor immediately, his eyes still maintaining their far off stare. Voldemort cackled loudly again.

"Good, very good. And now for your first task…"


	7. New Surrondings

Chapter VII

"New Surroundings"

"Wake up sleepyhead!"

Cloud groaned as he rolled over. 'Damn it Tifa,' he thought. He pulled his blankets over his head, trying to fall back to sleep.

Tifa, already showered and dressed, bounded into Cloud's room. Frowning at the lump buried under the pile of blankets, she walked calmly to the window. She quickly drew back the curtains and flooded the room with the morning sunlight. Blonde hair poked out from behind the covers, followed by another muffled groan.

"Oh, come on Cloud! Get up!" Tifa playfully demanded. "You slept nearly a week straight at the castle. Today you're getting up," she said poking the lump. After much poking and prodding, Cloud eventually gave up. The young man was still half asleep when Tifa pushed him into the bathroom. The shower hadn't helped much. Cloud stumbled back into the room still partially asleep. Tifa had returned to her own room, giving Cloud some privacy. Donning his SOLDIER uniform, the only clothes he had in this world, he stumbled into the hallway and down the stairs into the seedy bar: The Leaky Cauldron. Standing at the top of the stairs, Cloud shook his head and asked himself, _'_Cloud, how did you manage to get your self into this one?'

-VII-

_"Will you help us?" asked Dumbledore. _

_Cloud looked at Tifa for a moment before turning his attention back to Dumbledore. "I don't know, Professor. I've never been a good student. ." _

_"What about our not being from this world? Cloud and I will stick out like a sore thumb. Won't students pick up on the fact that we can't do your kind of magic and don't know any of your customs?" asked Tifa. _

_Dumbledore smiled again. "I already thought of that my dear. I will inform the school that you are transfer students from another magic school overseas. Only myself, the leadership of the Order of the Phoenix, and whomever you decide to tell yourselves will know where you really come from. And the purpose you're here for." _

_Cloud turned and looked at Tifa. "What do you think?" he asked her. _

_Tifa smiled and said, "Well, we already saved home from destruction. And it seems that we're stuck here for a while anyway. I think we should help, Cloud. I think we need to help. This is like our purpose. Call it fate or whatever, but this is what we do." She looked at Dumbledore and said, "I'll do it. Cloud?" _

_Cloud nodded in agreement. He looked at Dumbledore's kind old face and said, "I'm in. I once knew Sephiroth, back when he was still a good man. He was my boyhood hero. I idolized him. And then I nearly killed him because he was possessed by some crackhead wizard from anther world. I gotta set things straight. I have to stop all this once and for all." _

_Dumbledore rose from his seat and stood before Cloud and Tifa. "Thank you both very much. With your help and expertise hopefully we will be able to end this terrible conflict. Now, the school is not the best place for you to stay until term begins. Come with me if you'll please." Cloud and Tifa followed Dumbledore across the school grounds to a large train station. A large steam engine train was docked into the platform. Across the scarlet engine read: Hogwart's Express in bright gold letters. _

_"All aboard," called Dumbledore. Cloud and Tifa stepped onto the gangplank as the train began to rumble forward. "I'll meet you when you arrive." _

_The train ride was fairly uneventful. Both Cloud and Tifa stared out of the windows at the passing landscape. The green hills and friendly fields reminded the travelers of the fields outside of Nibelheim back home. They found themselves growing homesick. _

_"Just try to think of it as a vacation," suggested Cloud, attempting to lighten the mood. Tifa just smiled and returned to staring out the window. _

_After a short while, the train pulled into a large station marked Platform 9¾. Dumbledore was waiting for them at the station wearing a stylish blue suit. He looked out of place without his flowing robes and pointed hat. _

_"How did you get here before us?" asked Tifa. He gave her a small, grandfatherly smile before assuring her that he didn't need a train to travel great distances quickly. _

_Dumbledore led the pair of travelers through the magical portal and through the King's Cross Station. Soon Cloud and Tifa were taking their first steps into muggle London. Cloud and Tifa were shocked at the sight of the city. In their world there was only one large city: Midgar. But Midgar was dark and filthy, ridden with slums, poverty, and crime. London was far, far larger than Midgar. There was no plate blocking out the sky, no Mako reactors polluting the landscape, and it had suburbs and monuments dotting the horizon. _

_Dumbledore led them onward, not speaking, letting Cloud and Tifa absorb the sights and smells of the bustling city. The group traveled past all of London's historical monument's: Big Ben, the Parliament Building, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and Trafalgar Square. Cloud enjoyed seeing the Tower of London most, while Tifa loved startling the pigeons that littered the Square. Walking through London felt so familiar to Cloud and Tifa, it was almost like walking through Juron or Midgar back home. And yet it was completely different at the same time. People stared at the two travelers; Cloud's glowing eyes and massive sword tended to draw a lot of attention to the trio. Tifa remained cautious of the large crowd's at first, but relaxed when she saw that neither Dumbledore nor Cloud shared her apprehension. If they were comfortable with the situation than she should be as well. _

_'Besides,' she thought. 'This world can't be even half as dangerous as back home. We've been in the city for over two hours and there hasn't been a single attack anywhere. And Cloud will take care of me if I need him.' Tifa smiled at the thought. She knew that she would probably never really need Cloud to protect her from anything. After all she was the strongest martial artist in the world back home and could easily defeat just about any opponent thrown at her. Still, it was a nice to know that he would always be there for her if she needed him. _

_After seeing all the sights of London, Dumbledore led the party across the Thames River and into a much older section of London. Here Cloud and Tifa felt right at home. It was considerably dirtier and darker here than it had been on the other side of the river. It wasn't as bad as the old Midgar slums, but it was pretty close to being up on the plate surrounding the Shin-Ra building. _

_The party walked for a considerable distance before Dumbledore stopped in front of a run-down, crooked little building. He turned to Cloud and Tifa and held out his arm grandly at the dilapidated building. _

_"Behold, The Leaky Cauldron, Britain's most famous tavern and inn." _

_Cloud and Tifa looked beyond Dumbledore's outstretched arm and, at first, saw absolutely nothing. There was no tavern or inn there that they could recognize. Only a large bookstore and something called a record store stood behind Dumbledore. For several seconds, Cloud and Tifa searched for anything that looked remotely like a bar. Unsuccessful, Tifa turned to Dumbledore. _

_"Professor, where is it? I don't see any bars anywhere," she asked. _

_"My dear, its right there between the bookstore and record store." He pointed once again at the row of buildings. Cloud and Tifa looked once more and the space seemed to shimmer in front of the two stores. The space grew hazy and suddenly The Leaky Cauldron appeared sandwiched in between the book and record stores. One minute there was nothing and the next there was a building. _

_Cloud and Tifa stared at Dumbledore completely confounded. Dumbledore just smiled a small smile at the two and said, "It's magic." He then led the two into the pub. _

_The Leaky Cauldron was a small and grimy-looking pub. Tifa immediately flinched at the sight. The inside of the bar looked worse than the outside. For such a famous place, it was dirty and unkempt. Empty mugs and dirty plates littered the wooden tables and it looked like the floor hadn't been swept in years. Tifa remembered her bar in Sector 7. Tifa's 7th Heaven had been the finest bar in the slums, possibly in all of Midgar. _

_Dumbledore summoned the barkeep, Tom. Tom looked almost as old as the bar itself. He was quite bald and most of his teeth had fallen out over the years. Tom led them up a winding staircase to a private room. There were many doorways going down the hallway. Tifa guessed that the pub was a lot larger than it appeared. _

_Dumbledore ordered drinks for them all. Something called Butterbeer, which Tifa immediately fell in love with. When the bartender left, Dumbledore began to speak. _

_"Now then, this is where you both shall be staying for the remainder of summer holiday. Tom is preparing two rooms for you as we speak. I have already spoken to him in advance. He knows only that you are my guests and should be treated accordingly. He will take care of anything you should need until start of term. Now, I must ask you both to refrain from entering Muggle London again. It can be a very confusing place and I don't want either of you getting lost or into trouble. These are very dangerous times in Britain and, forgive me my young friends, but you both involuntarily draw a great amount of attention to yourselves." Dumbledore pointed at Cloud's massive sword leaning against a nearby chair. Cloud smirked at the reference. He didn't care, he never had. He was used to getting odd stares at both his weapon and his appearance. Having glowing blue eyes was something that took some getting used too. _

_"I know that you both are of the adventuring sort and are eager to explore. There is one place that I whole-heartedly encourage you to explore: Diagon Alley. It is the commercial capital of the Magical world here in London. You will find many wonderful and interesting things within its shops. Not to mention all your school supplies can be bought there. Just ask Tom and he'll show you the entrance." Dumbledore reached into his overcoat and produced two letters. He handed one to Cloud and the other to Tifa. _

_"Here are your school lists. You will need to buy everything on these lists before the start of term. Now then, it is getting late and I am in need of some good chocolate before retiring. I will be in touch." Dumbledore rose from his seat and began to put on his overcoat when Tifa interrupted him. _

_"But Professor, we don't have any of your money. All we have is some Gil from back home, but I don't think that will work here." _

_Dumbledore stopped dead in his tracks. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. He thought for a moment then smiled warmly at Tifa. "Not to worry my dear. I'll think of something before long. But for now, I'm sure you both are tired after such a long day. I know I am." Dumbledore put on his coat and hat. He tipped the brim of his hat towards Tifa and disappeared with a loud bang. _

_Cloud and Tifa stood in awe, staring at the spot Dumbledore had stood in mere seconds before vanishing into thin air. They didn't even hear Tom the bartender approach until he spoke: _

_"Your rooms are all ready." _

-VII-

Cloud stood upon the creaky staircase overlooking the bar. Even though it was still early in the day, the bar was bustling with people coming and going. As Cloud traveled down the stairs he spotted Tifa standing by the bar talking to Tom. Maneuvering through the crowd, Cloud managed to make his way over to her. He was greeted by Tifa's warm smile.

"Morning," Cloud greeted.

"About time sleepy-head. I thought I'd have to wait all day for you," Tifa teased. Cloud just rolled his eyes and faked a yawn.

"Good Morning sir. An owl came for you earlier. It's a letter from Dumbledore," said Tom handing cloud a folded piece of parchment. Cloud unfolded it as Tom began to serve green, bubbling drinks to a group of green, giggling witches.

_Dear Cloud and Tifa,_

_Give this letter to the Goblins at Gringrott's Bank. I have notified them of an exchange rate for changing your Gil into our Galleons, Sickles, and Kruts._

_D_

Cloud handed the note to Tifa, who read it quickly. Tifa folded the note back up and put it inside her pack. She took Cloud by the arm and let him through the crowded bar.

"Ok, Tom told me how to get to this Alley place and that bank thingy," she said. "Are you ready to go yet?"

Cloud stopped for a minute and mentally ran through his things, mostly just to annoy Tifa a little bit.

"As ready as I always am," Cloud shrugged with a small smile, patting the massive sword strapped to his back.

"Do you always have to take that everywhere?" asked Tifa, her hands on her hips. She had scolded him often for wearing his sword into shops and towns back home, especially when there was no danger at all.

"Yes I do," answered Cloud. "It's not my fault I can't wear The Ultima Weapon on my fists like your Premium Hearts." Tifa quickly hid her gloved hands behind her back and blushed a bright pink.

Now it was Cloud's turn to give her a warm smile. They walked to the brick entrance to Diagon Alley. The bricks parted on their own accord and the two travelers' stepped into the wizarding world.

-VII-

Diagon Alley was as busy as it ever had been. Witches and Wizards, families and friends walked along peering into shop windows. Some were carrying odd shaped bundles and Cloud even saw one man walking a small dragon on a leash. He stopped to take in the wonderful sights around him, but Tifa pulled his hand and dragged him along.

"Come on Cloud. You can look around later," she insisted. Knowing that it wasn't worth the effort to try and resist, he let Tifa drag him towards Gringrott's Wizarding Bank.

They reached a snow white building that was drastically larger than any of the shops Cloud had seen thus far. It had massive bronze doors, both intricately craved with strange, rune like writing. The pair of doors opened for Cloud and Tifa automatically, quite similar to the mechanical doors in the Shin-ra Headquarters. And there they saw their first goblin. It didn't look anything like the goblins that inhabited the small southern islands of their world. These goblins lacked the large, comical ears and overall awkwardness. The Gringrott's goblins were shorter and had very wrinkled faces. They had long, nimble fingers that they constantly twisted and curled their long, pointy beards with. Cloud felt an instant distrust for the creatures. Something about them made all his senses stand on edge, his SOLDIER training told him that these small creatures were dangerous and not to be trusted.

They approached the large, central desk. A row of older looking and quite ugly goblins sat there, scribbling on paperwork and generally ignoring Cloud and Tifa. Tifa stepped up to the desk and politely cleared her throat.

"Ah-hem." No response. Cloud shrugged. Tifa tried again, a little louder this time.

"AH-HEM." There was still no response. Tifa looked at Cloud for help. Cloud made a fist with his left hand and punched it into his right. Tifa smiled and nodded. She stepped forward, nearly on top of the goblin, and slammed her fist gently on the top of the desk. Well, gently for her. Her blow still created a large crater in the desk as the echo of splintering wood cut through the quiet hall. The goblins leapt from their chairs and pressed themselves against the wall behind them.

"Excuse me," Tifa said in her sweetest voice. "Can you help us please?"

Still frightened, the goblins sat back down. They put their heads together and, after a short conference, went back to work. One goblin walked around the desk and towards Tifa. He was smaller than the rest of the goblins behind the desk and didn't look very happy with his task. The other goblins had decided that since he was the runt of their little group, he should be the one to deal with the scary girl and man.

"Can I help you?" he asked timidly. He was careful to stay a good arm's length from Tifa, afraid that she might do to him what she did to the desk.

Tifa extended her hand towards Cloud, who gave her Dumbledore's letter. She then bent down to the goblin's height. The goblin flinched away at first, but was won over by Tifa's warm smile. She handed him the letter.

"We'd like to exchange our money. Dumbledore gave us this."

The goblin read the letter, looked back at Tifa, and then read the letter again.

"How much do you wish to exchange?" he asked in a raspy voice when he was finally satisfied with the letter.

Tifa looked up at Cloud. "What do you think?" she asked,

"We might as well do all of it," Cloud answered, tossing Tifa his money stash. Tifa agreed and handed the goblin their money, adding her stash with Cloud's.

The goblin took their pouches full of golden Gil and placed it on a large, ornate scale. He carefully adjusted the weights on the other end with his long fingers before turning back to Tifa.

"You have $100, 545 in Gil…" he said.

"I knew we shouldn't have let Barret hold most of the group's money," growled Cloud.

"Shh," scolded Tifa.

"As I was saying," the forgotten goblin rudely said. "You have $100, 545 Gil with exchanges to 1,000,000 Galleons, 350,000 Sickles, and 200,001 Knuts. It is seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle. Would you like it all now or would you prefer a vault prepared for storage?"

"A vault," Cloud and Tifa answered immediately.

"Very well. Here are your keys." The goblin produced two keys from thin air and handed them to Tifa. He then clapped twice and a smaller, younger goblin came scurrying towards the desk. The two goblins conversed in a strange language that must have been their native tongue. Then they both turned their attention back to Cloud and Tifa.

The older goblin gestured to the younger and said, "Tumahab will take you to your vault."

-VII-

Cloud felt ill, like he was going to become very sick very soon. Tumahab had led them onto a mine cart, which then flew down its rail track at breakneck speeds. They hurtled around corners, often nearly pitching over the side into the endless caverns below, and once leapt off the track completely for several terrifying seconds before crashing back down hard. From the excited shouting and hollering, it seemed Tifa was having the time of her life. Cloud merely turned green and clutched unto his seat as the cart bounced along roughly. When the cart finally reached its destination, far beneath the alley above, Cloud leapt from his seat and exited the cart as quickly as he could. While he recovered by the side of the track, Tumahab led Tifa to their vault and opened it with her key. Its small space was filled to the ceiling with gold, silver, and bronze coins. Tumahab produced two leather bags and gave them to Tifa. Seeing as Cloud was still recuperating from the trip, she filled both bags with large amounts of money. Even with their bags filled, there was still a small fortune left within the vault. The money situation taken care of, the group piled back into the cart. The Cart lurched in reverse and Cloud braced himself for the cart's return trip.

-VII-

Cloud stood hunched over in an alleyway next to Gringrotts, the contents of his stomach on the ground between his feet.

"I don't understand you Cloud. You can ride a Gold Chocobo at over 200 mph, leap onto a runaway train, snowboard down a mountain, and go toe-to-toe with any WEAPON, but you still get sick from riding in a cart," Tifa teased.

"Give me a break Tifa," he said as he spat out the taste of bile that remained in his mouth. "From now on, you get the money alone."

Tifa laughed at her best friend, but stopped suddenly. She thought she heard something faint farther back in the alley. It sounded almost like raised voices.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered to Cloud. Cloud immediately shook off any lasting effects of his motion sickness; his Mako and JENOVA enhanced senses swept across the area. Cloud could hear the pitter patter of rats scurrying about in the garbage, carts hurtling down the rails in the vaults below the surface, and even heard the beating heart within Tifa's chest quicken.

"LET HER GO MALFOY!"

"I heard that," said Cloud drawing his sword. "Let's go!" he called to Tifa and they dashed into the dark alleyway.


	8. Hateful Words and Fortunate Meetings

Chapter VIII

"Hateful Words and Fortunate Meetings"

_Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of Dumbledore's arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light. He was laughing at her._

"_Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room._

_The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest._

_The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock. It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch…_

_And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil…_

_Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream…_

_He heard his own scream of despair overpower hers…_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Harry woke up screaming; his sheets and bedclothes were covered in a cold sweat. He took a deep breath, but his body refused to calm down. It was the dream again. He was reliving the night Sirius died in the Department of Mysteries. He had been having that same nightmare every single night all summer. He had enjoyed one night of undisturbed sleep on his birthday two weeks prior. He had been having the nightmare before his birthday and was having it again. He thought Dumbledore's ring would have protected him at night like it had on his birthday but it hadn't. In fact the dreams were stronger now, even more vivid and realistic than before. He thought of writing Dumbledore and telling him, but he hadn't. He was still too angry with the old man to ask for his help yet.

The days and weeks since his birthday had not been pleasant for Harry. Receiving birthday gifts and greetings from his friends had only been a temporary distraction for the boy. His anger and depression had returned quickly, and with a vengeance. He still obsessively studied day and night; he hadn't been outside in days. His appearance had grown even shabbier in the past weeks. His already pale face had grown even paler; his already small frame had shrunk a little more. He had become a shell of a boy. Where there was once the happiness of his friendships, Quidditch, and Hogwarts; there was now only sadness and anger.

He looked at the clock on his bedside table; it was still over three hours until morning. Harry rose from his bed, knowing from the past that he wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep. He put on his glasses and took out the Charms book he had been reading that night. It was an advanced book: one even beyond the N.E.W.T. tests. There were several spells that sounded like they could be useful in a fight. He'd have to get Hermione to look at the book when he saw her next.

Harry read until the sun broke through the blinds in his small bedroom. He closed the textbook and headed downstairs for breakfast. Harry preferred to avoid his relatives as much as possible, even if it meant his inconvenience. His relatives asked too many questions and still treated him like a stray dog rather than a nephew.

As he left his bedroom, Harry stole a glance at the calendar hanging from his wall. Today's date had been circled in bright red marker. Harry couldn't believe it. He had forgotten about his trip to Diagon Alley. Ron and Hermione had sent him a letter a few days ago to set it up. Harry forgot to ask his uncle for a ride into London. Panic swept over Harry. How was he going to get to London now? Harry looked around his room, as if an answer to his dilemma had been written on his bedroom walls. His gaze passed over his desk where his letter to Lupin laid unfinished. A light went off on in Harry's head and a small smile crossed his lips. He waved his wand over the parchment and the words vanished. Harry quickly scribbled down a few lines and, satisfied with his ploy, went downstairs to eat.

Harry ate his meal quickly and quietly. As soon as he heard his relatives begin to stir upstairs Harry had snuck back up into his room.

Harry decided that he didn't want his friends to worry about his change in appearance so he did his best to look presentable for his friends. He combed back his long hair into a loose ponytail and wore his best fitting hand downs from Dudley. Dressed in jeans and a fairly nice t-shirt, Harry went back downstairs into the kitchen.

The Dursley family was sitting around the kitchen table. Both Vernon and Dudley were gorging themselves on bacon and eggs, slabs of heavily buttered toast, and a stack of pancakes the size of dinner plates. Both resembled large pigs sitting at the table rather than human beings. Harry sat down at the table and began tying up his sneakers.

"Where are you going?" asked Dudley in between mouthfuls.

"London," replied Harry simply.

"Oh really? And how are you going to get there boy?" sneered Uncle Vernon. Going to fly on your ruddy little broomstick?" He and Dudley began to snort in laughter.

'They really are like pigs', Harry thought, smiling.

"Maybe he is going to turn into a little bug and fly there," added Dudley stupidly.

"Actually, you're going to take me Uncle Vernon," said Harry as he helped himself to a slice of his uncle's bacon. Uncle Vernon stared blankly at Harry as if his nephew had just slapped him in the face. Then he began to laugh uncontrollably. Dudley laughed along with his father, although he really didn't really know why.

"I'm…going…to…take… you!" Uncle Vernon managed to say in between his donkey-like brays of laughter. "Have you gone bloody mad? Why on Earth would I take you anywhere?" he asked, teary eyed from all the laughter.

Harry took the laughter in stride, he had expected nothing less from his heartless relatives. They never gave a damn about what happened to Harry and Harry no longer held any place for them in his heart. But while he remained in their house, he would make use of them any way he could.

"You're going to take me because if you don't I'll have to send this letter to my new godfather, Remus. You met him at King's Cross. He was the shabby looking werewolf." Harry put extra heavy emphasis on the werewolf part. Uncle Vernon turned an unhealthy shade of green at Lupin's mentioning. Harry laid the letter on top of Uncle Vernon's newspaper.

"I'll be in the car," said Harry confidently as he walked out of the room. "They are expecting me by 9 o clock, so you might want to hurry. And don't bother trying to tear or burn that letter. My friend Ron sent me that parchment in case you actually had the brainpower to go through my mail. The parchment is self repairing and will cause your hands to grow warts if you handle it too much."

Uncle Vernon stared angrily at his nephew's back, then turned his attention back to the letter.

_Dear Remus,_

_Checking in this week. Things have not changed much here. This place still stinks worse than dragon dung. In fact, my uncle has refused to take me to London to meet Ron and Hermione today. So, please stop by and transfigure him into something unnatural. A toad or dung beetle should do nicely. _

_See You Soon,_

_Harry_

Ten minutes later,

Uncle Vernon was driving in a silent rage towards London. Harry didn't bother to say anything or to find anything to entertain himself on the hour drive to London. He didn't have to; watching Uncle Vernon's large face turn from bright red to a deep purple was entertaining enough.

-VII-

Ron and Hermione walked hand in hand into The Leaky Cauldron. Ginny and Tonks walked in behind them, each with a slight look of disgust on their pretty faces.

"You two are revolting," commented Ginny as they sat down to wait for Harry. "Did you two have to snog the entire car ride here?"

"Aye," said Tonks. "I think I'm going to be sick if you two spend the entire day making puppy-dog eyes at each other." Tonks scrunched up her nose and metamorphed her eyes into large, brown, Bambi eyes. The new eyes clashed wonderfully with her bubble gum pink hair. She and Ginny burst out laughing as Ron and Hermione shot daggers at them.

"You two better knock that off when Harry gets here. He doesn't know about us yet," scolded Hermione. She had changed slightly since the end of school. Her hair wasn't as bushy as it usually was and she had matured a great deal as well. She was becoming rather attractive, something that Ron hadn't missed.

"Yes he does," called a voice from behind them.

"Harry!" shouted Hermione. She leapt up out of her seat and threw her arms tightly around her best friend.

"Hermione – I – can't – breathe," Harry stammered. Hermione smirked and kissed her friend on the cheek before releasing him from her grip.

"Careful Hermione," said Harry as he stepped back. He touched his cheek where Hermione had kissed him. "I don't want Ron to get jealous." Hermione's face grew crimson while Tonks and Ginny laughed uproariously.

"Hey, keep your hands off my girl, mate!" chided Ron as he threw an arm around Harry's neck, pulling him into a brotherly hug.

Harry greeted Ginny next. She had grown up since he last saw her. She was taller and her hair was longer. Skinny little Ginny had grown up (and filled out). Ginny grabbed hold of Harry and hugged him tightly. When she let him go, she gave him a quick look over.

"You look terrible Harry," she said. "What the hell have those relatives of yours been doing to you?" she asked worriedly.

"Wotcher Harry," greeted Tonks as she stepped forward. "You do look pretty worse for wear. You're so pale and thin. Are you sick?"

"No I'm fine. It's been a long summer that's all," Harry said quickly. He didn't want his friends to know what he had been doing all summer and why he was in such bad shape.

"Well, I do like the long hair," commented Ginny. "It makes you look tough or something like that." Harry blushed and sat down at the table. The others joined him.

"So how is everyone?" asked Harry.

"Well everyone at the Order has been real busy. Mum was really sorry she couldn't come and see you today, but she's on duty today," said Ron. "Since You-Know-Who went public at the Ministry, everyone has been fighting Death Eaters and trying to stop You-Know-Who's schemes. There have been a few small battles but nothing like what happened in the Dept. of Mysteries. There was only one real major attack I heard about was in the Daily Prophet about a week ago. Something about a guy with long white hair and a big sword. Pretty nasty stuff."

"How's Lupin? Dumbledore told me he left awhile ago," asked Harry. Everyone looked at Tonks as if she had all the answers. She fidgeted in her seat and tried to avoid Harry's gaze.

"Er, he still hasn't come back yet I'm afraid. Dumbledore said that wolves tend to mourn very heavily for those close to them. And Remus and Sirius were like brothers. But Hagrid saw him in the Forest just last week. Said he was thin and worn-down, but that was just after a full moon."

Harry nodded solemnly. He had hoped that Lupin had returned by now and that he would see him soon.

Noticing their best friend's depressed look, Hermione and Ginny stood up.

"Come on now Harry," said Hermione. "Now that you're here we can get going."

"Yeah," agreed Ginny. "You haven't been to Fred and George's shop yet."

"And we have to check out the new Firebolt II's," said Ron excitedly.

Harry laughed and allowed his friends to drag him out of The Leaky Cauldron. On their way out, he noticed a young man about his age walking down the stairs. He had very spiky blonde hair and glowing blue eyes. Ron dragged him out the door before he could give it a second thought.

"Where do you want to do first?" asked Ron once they were outside. Harry shrugged his shoulders impartially.

"It doesn't matter to me," he said.

Tonks rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Well, I need to go to Gringrotts. Mad-Eye has me running all the Order's errands while I'm here with you four. Why don't you three go catch up while Ginny and I get our money," suggested Tonks. Everyone agreed and was off towards their different destinations. Ginny and Tonks walked off skipping and laughing towards Gringrotts bank. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to sit down on a bench outside of Gringrotts to wait. The three best friends began to retell the events of their respective summers. Ron and Hermione's summers were nearly identical. Hermione had gone to stay with the Order only a week after school had ended. Her parents had gone to stay as well.

"It was unbearable, Harry. We received dozens of phone calls, hundreds of owl posts. Every single one was a threat of some kind. Some were simple enough: people wanting me not to return to Hogwarts or just wanting me dead. Some," she hesitated for a moment. Her face grew pale and her hands began to shake. "Some were just too awful and horrible to even think about. I owled Dumbledore and he came himself to take my family and I away. I've been with the Order ever since."

"Is Kretcher still there?" asked Harry angrily,

"I guess so," answered Hermione. "The Order left Sirius' house for awhile. After Kretcher betrayed Sirius at the Dept. of Mysteries, Dumbledore moved headquarters out into the country until things settled down a bit. But the new place is very nice. We don't really know where it is; it's in the middle of nowhere. Everyone has to apparate to get to the house; there aren't any roads or anything. But since there is nothing and no one within miles, we can do magic and fly around on brooms whenever we want. Since we have all become prime targets for a Death Eater attack, Dumbledore pulled some strings at the Ministry and had our underage wizardry restrictions lifted. He got yours lifted too, but he didn't want to tell you. He thought you might curse your relatives."

"He's right, I would have. And I probably will when I get home," grumbled Harry.

"Have they been that bad this summer Harry?" asked Ron. "What's happened to you all summer?"

It only took a few moments for Harry to tell his friends about his dismal summer. He didn't tell about his nightmares or his obsessive studying. Harry knew his friends worried about him. He didn't want them to worry more than they had to. And Harry didn't have to heart to tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy either. The time for that hadn't yet arrived.

-VII-

Tonks stood uncomfortably in line. She and Ginny had been waiting in line for what seemed like hours. The goblins working were more skittish than usual. They were running around chaotically. Something had happened or was going to, Tonks realized. Shrugging it off to usual bank business, she turned back to Ginny and made aimless small talk. They discussed the upcoming school year, how things have been going at the Order, even how cute Harry looked with longer hair.

They finally made it to the front of the line. Ginny noticed that there was a large indention spider-webbed with cracks in the wood on the main desk. It looked like someone or something had tried to smash the desk in with a large hammer.

'I guess something didn't like waiting in line', Ginny thought while Tonks gave the head goblin their vault keys. Ginny was still staring at the indention in the desk when a goblin came to take them to the vaults.

"Hey Ginny! Move it or lose it girl!" Tonks called from their vault cart. Ginny forgot about the desk and took off after the cart down the tunnel.

-VII-

Harry was happy, truly happy, for the first time all summer. He was sitting on a bench, relaxing with his two best friends in the world, and for the first time in months, he forgot about his war against Voldemort. Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived, the savior of the wizarding world, was back to being a 16 year old boy again. There were no more prophecies, no more trials, and no more life-threatening situations. He was just an average teenager with average teenage issues. It was too good to be true.

Harry was listening intently to Ron and Hermione talk about living at headquarters, although they both left out any and all specific details. They became so wrapped up in their conversation that they never noticed three figures approach from behind.

"Well, well. If it isn't Potter and his fan club."

Harry felt his blood boil at the sound of the sneering voice. His pleasant mood vanished and was replaced by pure rage. Ever since their first year at Hogwarts he had passionately hated the owner of the voice.

The three Gryffindors leapt off the bench to face their hated school rival, Draco Malfoy. Malfoy was dressed in his usual finery, flaunting his family's great wealth in his dragon skin cloak and silk clothes. Behind Malfoy lumbered his two appointed cronies: Crabbe and Goyle. Both brutish figures towered over Malfoy; even the lanky Ron had to gaze slightly upward at the two. Their height was equally matched by their massive girth. Crabbe and Goyle looked more like hairless gorillas then 16-year-old boys.

"You know you look a lot like a girl with that long hair Potter. I always knew you had no balls. You're looking even poorer Weasel. I didn't think that was even possible. And Mudblood," Malfoy paused for a moment to lick his lips. "You almost look good enough to be my dog. Would you like a bone?" A flash of recognition flashed across Hermione's face before she cowered back a step away from Malfoy.

"Shut your bloody mouth, Malfoy!" yelled Ron fiercely. He quickly stepped in between Malfoy and Hermione, trying to shield her from him. Malfoy noticed his noble effort. He began to laugh loudly. Crabbe and Goyle looked blankly at each other for a moment before finally catching on. They began to laugh along with Malfoy, pig-like snorts occasionally escaping from their mouths. Malfoy quickly cut them off.

"So she's already your dog Weasley. I should have known. You're too poor to afford a proper girlfriend so you went to the pound for a dog!" Ron's hands closed into tight fists. They began to tremble in rage as his knuckles turned white. Crabbe and Goyle slowly plodded forward. Their faces remained neutral, but their stances were purely hostile. Behind Ron, Hermione slowly pulled her wand from her jeans pocket.

Malfoy turned his attention to Harry. The cruel smile he wore as he tormented Ron and Hermione became a dark, murderous glare.

"You think you won Potter? When you got my father thrown in Azkaban and embarrassed my family and me?" Malfoy sneered venom at Harry. Pure malice dripped from each and every word spoken. "You haven't won anything Potter, you never will win anything. My father will get out of Azkaban and when he returns, I swear to the Dark Gods themselves, that we will make you all pay in blood!"

Harry stood eye-to-eye with Malfoy. Despite Malfoy's threats Harry didn't bat an eye. He stood his ground firmly and without fear.

"And if your Daddy ever does get out of prison, Malfoy, I'll be waiting to send him right back. In fact I'll see to it that you get a nice cozy cell right next to him," Harry said defiantly. "Come on, lets get out of here." Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and began to lead them always from the Slytherins. They didn't make it very far before Malfoy shouted a few parting shots at their backs.

"Hey Potter! 'Tis a shame about your godfather. I have been wondering: when they buried his body, did they use a coffin or a doggy bag?"

Time stopped then shattered like a pane of glass. Nothing mattered anymore for Harry. School, his friends, the fight against Voldemort, it was all thrown to the wayside. Harry didn't care. They weren't even a thought in his mind anymore. It was as if they never had been there in the first place. The happiness he had been enjoying not even ten minutes ago was a distant memory. There was only burning rage. And a desire to destroy Malfoy, to beat him into black oblivion.

Malfoy had barely enough time to finish the question before Harry's fist slammed into his jaw. The blow knocked Malfoy to the ground, ruining his lavish clothes. Crabbe, Goyle, Ron, and Hermione were frozen in place by Harry's sudden rush of violence. They all stood in shock as Harry mounted Malfoy and began to repeatedly smash his fists into Malfoy's face. It wasn't until Malfoy started to yell for them that Crabbe and Goyle lurched into movement. They pulled Harry off of Malfoy and tried to hold him back. Malfoy stumbled to his feet and half crawled-half staggered into the alleyway. Harry slipped out of Crabbe's grip and ran after Malfoy.

Ron and Hermione chased after Crabbe and Goyle into the dark alley. They arrived to see Malfoy pinned against the alley wall with Harry's hands clutched around his pale throat. Malfoy started to turn blue when Crabbe and Goyle grabbed hold of Harry and dragged him, kicking and struggling, off of Malfoy. The two thugs began to pummel the much smaller boy. Ron, despite Hermione's screaming protests, ran to help his best friend. Finally recovering from his beating, Malfoy drew his wand. Taking quick aim, he cursed Ron.

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_

The curse struck Ron in between his shoulders and took immediate effect. Ron crashed face first into the ground as his arms and legs were frozen by Malfoy's Body lock Curse.

"Ron!" Hermione cried out and rushed to her boyfriend's side. Her movement caught Malfoy's eye and he started to take aim with his wand again. Harry, still being held by Crabbe and beaten by Goyle, managed to kick a small stone at Malfoy's head, disrupting his aim.

"Run Hermione!" shouted Harry before Goyle punched him heavily in the stomach. Hermione drew her own wand to defend herself. Taking aim at Goyle's broad back, Hermione didn't have time to utter the spell's incantation.

"_Expelliarmus_!" shouted Malfoy, sending Hermione's wand flying across the alley. She scrambled after it, but Malfoy was a fraction faster. He caught her from behind by her bushy hair and wrapped his arm around her throat. His wand tip was pointed lazily at her exposed temple.

"LET HER GO MALFOY!" bellowed Harry angrily. Goyle silenced him with another vicious strike to the head.

"You should worry about yourself, hero," muttered Goyle dumbly before kicking Harry cruelly in the head. The blow knocked Harry into unconsciousness; his body hung limply in Crabbe's grip. Goyle smiled slightly and continued to beat him anyway.

Malfoy roughly spun Hermione around and grasped her by the throat. Hermione let out a small moan of fear as Malfoy pulled her body close to his own.

"Well now Mudblood, lets have some fun," sneered Malfoy, his voice low and dangerous. He shoved Hermione roughly to the ground. She bounced hard against the filthy alley floor. A large piece of glass, thrown carelessly into the alley a long time ago, cut Hermione's arm as she fell. Malfoy loomed over her, poised for the kill…

"Here are your just rewards for being an insufferable bitch know it all," leered Malfoy as he kicked her in the ribs.

"I swear to God, Malfoy, if you touch her I'll kill you!" shouted Ron. Malfoy's curse had begun to wear off. Feeling and mobility had returned to Ron's left arm and he was using it to drag himself, valiantly, towards Malfoy.

Malfoy laughed at Ron's brave efforts as he watched Ron crawl towards him. It took only a moment for Ron to make his way close enough to grab the folds of Malfoy's cloak.

"Leave her alone you bastard," Ron growled at Malfoy as he tried to pull himself up. Malfoy just stared down at Ron with disgust, as one would stare at a mangy dog or disgusting insect.

"Brave words Weasley, but I think I'll take my chances." Malfoy savagely kicked Ron off of his robes before aiming his wand at Ron's face. "_Stupefy_!" he said coldly. The Stunning Spell hit Ron right between the eyes. The spell knocked Ron back several feet before he slid into the alley wall with a grunt.

Hermione used Ron's interruption as a vain attempt to find her wand. Spying it laying nearby, Hermione dived for it. She nearly grasped it before Malfoy caught her. He slapped her hard on the face, sending her sprawling back onto the ground. Ron seethed in anger and tried to pick himself back up. Malfoy raised his hand to strike again. Hermione desperately tried to cover herself from the blow. Malfoy swung, but the blow never landed. His wrist was grasped by a strong, gloved hand.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you never to hit girls?" asked a sweet sounded voice. Everyone in the alley stopped what they were doing to stare at the beautiful girl holding Malfoy's hand away from Hermione.

"And who are you my dear?" asked Malfoy flirting openly with the girl holding his arm. "If you wanted to hold hands all you had to do was ask."

"My name's Tifa," the girl answered smiling. "Asshole," she added harshly.

Crabbe and Goyle were so mystified by the Tifa's beauty that they never noticed a dark figure with glowing eyes slip through the shadows behind them.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" whispered Cloud from the shadows. Both Crabbe and Goyle nodded dumbly. Tifa turned her head and smiled at Cloud as he stepped out of the shadows. He wondered if she had heard him as well. Brushing the thought aside, he laid an arm around Goyle's shoulder as a good friend might. Still entranced by Tifa, Goyle thought it was Crabbe joining him in admiration. He turned his head smiling, expecting to see his best friend's face. Instead of seeing Crabbe's chubby face, Goyle was greeted by Cloud's spiky blonde locks and glowing blue eyes. Cloud smiled at the confused boy.

"Hi," he said before slamming Goyle's head into the alley wall. Goyle's head hit with a hollow sounding thump and he slumped to the ground like a falling log. Seeing his partner in crime down for the count, Crabbe dropped the still bleeding and still unconscious Harry and charged at Cloud. Uttering a combination of curses and a pig-like war cry, Crabbe ran blindly into Cloud's outstretched fist. The sudden self-inflicted blow had the effect of running headlong into a brick wall and Crabbe joined Goyle on the ground.

Meanwhile, Tifa was having her way with Malfoy. After preventing him from striking Hermione, she flipped him over her shoulder like a rag doll. Recovering quickly, Malfoy tried to jinx Tifa like he had Ron, but she slapped the wand from his hand and kneed him in the stomach. Malfoy doubled over and nearly threw up from the force of the blow. Still having trouble breathing, Malfoy threw a weak punch at Tifa's face. Tifa effortlessly caught the punch within her palm and, almost causally, side kicked him hard in the chest. Malfoy flew through the air for a moment before crashing into the alley wall.

Tifa patted the dust of her gloves and short skirt and offered Hermione her hand. Hermione looked at Tifa wide-eyed for a moment then cautiously took it and let Tifa give her a hand up. Tifa gave Hermione a quick glance to make sure she didn't have any serious injuries. Hermione was sporting a hand-shaped mark on her face where Malfoy slapped her, but was otherwise unhurt. She quickly found her wand and helped Ron to his feet. The couple embraced for a moment before remembering Harry.

Cloud was carrying Harry lightly over one shoulder. He passed by the others without a glance and walked out of the alley. He placed Harry down gently on the bench the three Gryffindors had been sitting on earlier. Harry let out a small moan of pain as Cloud set him down. Ron and Hermione heard and rushed to their friend's side, but Tifa stopped them.

"Wait a minute," she said. "He'll be alright."

Cloud quickly assessed Harry's injuries with a practiced eye. Harry, now regaining consciousness, groaned and squirmed under Cloud's examination. He had a far off look in his eyes, like a man out on his feet.

"Your friend's taken quite a beating. Nothing life threatening, but I think he may have cracked a rib or two," said Cloud seriously. He turned to Tifa. "You have a Cure on you?" he asked. Tifa rummaged through a small pouch at her side and tossed a small green orb to Cloud. He caught it and inserted it into a small slot in the wrist armor on his left arm. Standing up, he closed his eyes in concentration. Waves of green fire erupted around his feet as he threw his hands forward towards Harry. Sparkling green lights materialized above Harry and fell onto his entire body. The magic took effect immediately. The cuts on Harry's mouth and above his eyes healed over and his many bruises faded away. Harry, suddenly completely healed and aware of his surroundings, sprang up and joined his overjoyed, but confused, friends. For a moment the trio of Gryffindors stared at their saviors in both awe and shock. It was Harry that took initiative and first spoke.

"I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but who are you two? And why did you help us?" he asked frankly.

"We heard you shouting," said Tifa. "It sounded like you needed help. My name is Tifa Lockheart," she said as friendly as she could. She offered Harry her hand and he shook it.

Cloud replaced the green orb in his armor and stepped forward.

"Cloud Strife," he said as he too offered Harry his hand.

"Harry Potter," Harry said as he shook it. When their hands touched, Harry felt his scar burn very slightly. Harry dismissed it, thinking that it was a side effect from the beating he just received.

Ron thrust himself forward in front of Harry to great Cloud. "I'm Ron Weasley. Can I see your sword?" he asked, his eyes wide with hero worship. Hermione smacked Ron upside his head before Cloud could reply.

"Oh no you don't! You'll cut your fingers off and I don't know the spell to put them back on!" She quickly calmed down and smiled at Cloud and Tifa. "I'm Hermione Granger. Thank you for your help back there. How did you do wandless magic like that? You'll have to show me. Dumbledore is the only person I've ever seen do wandless magic. I know it is very difficult and you must be very powerful to manage even simple spells. What was that green orb in your wrist? Where did that green fire come from…"

"Easy Hermione," interrupted Ron. "Blimey, we're not even in school yet and she's already going mental." Hermione scowled at Ron, but dropped the matter.

Tifa laughed at the couple. "You could say we learned it at our old school, I guess."

"What other school?" asked Hermione. "Did you go to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?

"Um, neither actually. I guess you could call it the Midgar School," said Tifa uneasily.

"Where's that?" asked Ron. "Is it far away?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that it is very far away," answered Cloud. He glimpsed at Tifa. She had a very forlorn look on her face at the mentioning of their lost home.

"Well what brings you to Diagon Alley?" asked Harry.

"We're getting supplies for Hogwarts. We're new transfer students," replied Tifa. "We were getting money out of Gringrotts when we heard you."

"Have you ever been here before?" asked Hermione?

Tifa shook her head no.

"Then you're both coming with us. We need to do our school shopping too. We'll show you around and help you get your things. It's the least we can do," said Hermione almost insisting.

Tifa looked at Cloud who merely shrugged.

"Let's go I guess," she said smiling and the five new friends walked back towards a waiting Tonks and Ginny.


	9. Shopping and Saving

Chapter IX

"Shopping and Saving"

Tonks and Ginny returned with everyone's money shortly after the Malfoy incident had been all settled out.

"Wotcher Harry, we're back." Tonks looked at her charges and their new companions. She immediately noticed Harry's ruffled and dirty clothing and the mark on Hermione's cheek. She drew her wand and pointed it at Cloud's chest. "What happened?" she demanded. Ginny quickly drew her own wand and leveled it at Tifa.

Tifa quickly raised her hands into the air, displaying no threat. Cloud reacted naturally. At least what is natural for him. He drew his sword, fast as lightning, and leveled its massive tip at Tonks' vulnerable throat. It was a stalemate: Tonks stood ready to curse Cloud into nothingness and he was poised to cut her down.

The two combatants remained at the ready for several seconds until Harry stepped in between them.

"Stop this, both of you!" he shouted. He quickly explained to Tonks and Ginny what happened in the alley with Malfoy and the cronies. It took a while for the two girls to settle back down; they were both furious. Tonks was furious at herself for not being there to protect her young charges.

"Mad-Eye's gonna kill me, Mad-Eye's gonna kill me," she kept muttering to herself.

Ginny was upset for a totally different reason. She was fuming over the fact that she missed out on all the action. She had been practicing her Jelly-Legs Jinx all summer at the Order's headquarters, but no one would be a target for her after she jinxed her older brother Bill into dancing for the better part of a week.

"You couldn't have saved one of them for me?" she asked Harry sweetly.

"Sorry Ginny," replied Harry sheepishly. "I was kinda knocked out when Cloud and Tifa showed up."

Ginny pouted half heartedly before smiling brightly. "Well I'm glad they were more help than my pathetic brother," she said mocking Ron.

"Oh, come on now Ginny. That's not fair!" whined Ron in protest. Everyone laughed at the sibling's harmless teasing.

"Well I still wish I could have at least seen Malfoy get what he deserves," said Ginny.

"Oh, I'll never forget it," said Ron. "I mean, it was bloody spectacular when Hermione punched Malfoy out our third year, but this was just…wicked."

Tifa looked at Hermione with a bright smile on her face. "You knocked him out?" she asked.

"Hermione blushed and raised a single finger. "One punch," she replied.

"Oh, I missed that too! Why do I always miss the good stuff?" complained Ginny. Everyone just shrugged and laughed.

"Well now that you two aren't trying to kill one another," said Hermione towards Cloud and Tonks. "Now what are we going to do?"

"What we started out to do," said Harry. "Come on, let's deal with these school lists. They packed more stuff on these things than ever before." Everyone nodded in agreement and set off down Diagon Alley.

The first stop was Flourish and Blotts Bookstore. As soon as they walked into the store, Hermione disappeared behind the tall shelves of books, dragging a helpless Ron in tow. Harry shook his head and went about helping Cloud and Tifa find their books. The two were clueless on what books they needed. They didn't even know the simplest spells from any of the previous years. Harry and Ginny shrugged it off figuring they had a different curriculum at their old school. They were able to find all the assigned books fairly quickly. After checking out they waited patiently for Hermione to finisher book shopping. After nearly fifteen additional minutes, Hermione walked out carry her purse. Ron came out behind her, hidden behind a massive stack of books. The tottered left and right, trying to keep his balance while carrying the immense load.

"Jeez, Hermione. How many classes are you taking this year? You didn't get another Time-Turner did you?" asked Harry.

"I'm not taking any extra classes," said Hermione defensively. "It's just a little light reading before the start of term." Harry and Ginny shook their heads knowingly while Cloud and Tifa just gawked at the statement.

"There isn't anything light about it Hermione," stammered Ron from behind the books. Everyone laughed before helping Ron with the load.

They headed back down the alley and into Quality Quidditch Supplies. The store was jam packed with people. Everyone seemed to be crowded around a small glass case. Harry and his little group managed to elbow and squirm towards the front of the crowd to see what was in the case. It was a shiny new broom. A small fireball adorned the handle and the twigs at the end were a bright fiery red. A small card lay atop the case.

**Brand New!**

**International Standard Broom**

**The Firebolt II!**

**Twice as Fast as the Original!**

**Special Order Only**

**See Sales Rep for details**

**Serious orders only!**

Ron and Harry gasped at the sight of the broom; Ron nearly started drooling onto the glass case. It was a magnificent sight, but it was totally wasted on Cloud and Tifa.

"What's the big deal?" whispered Tifa to Cloud.

"I guess they like cleaning a lot or something," answered Cloud. Ginny overheard and quickly filled her new friends in on the basics of Quidditch before they embarrassed themselves. Tifa and Cloud liked the sound of the game and decided to take a shot at it when they returned to Hogwarts. They both purchased brooms. Not the Firebolt II, despite Ron's very loud protests. Tifa bought a Nimbus 2002, a very fast broom just under the Firebolt. Cloud bought an older, almost antique Nimbus 2000.

"I don't know why you bought that old wreck," said Ron. "Even my broom is better than that and I'm still using Charlie's old broom!"

Cloud ignored him. "I've got an idea for this old broom." Harry took offense to Ron's statements.

"Hey that was my first broom too Ron. It's a good broom no matter how old it gets." Ron apologized as they left the store.

"But you got to admit, it would be wicked to play on a new Firebolt."

-VII-

"Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." said Cloud outside the narrow and shabby shop. They entered the shop accompanied by a tinkling of an entry bell above the door. Stacks upon stacks of thin wand boxes were housed upon row after row of shelves. Mr. Ollivander slipped out from behind the shelves and cases to greet his customers. He recognized Harry immediately.

"Ah," he exclaimed. "Welcome back Mr. Potter. What can I do for you today? I do hope you've been keeping good care of your wand. After all, now that its brother has returned from the darkness, you will be needing it."

Harry bristled at the subtle mentioning of Voldemort and the wand cores that they shared. He was able to keep his feelings in check when he answered though. "Nothing for me today. My new friends need wands."

"Of course. And where are the young first years?" Ollivander scanned the space behind Harry for young children but only saw Tonks looking closely at a display case. She leaned forward and accidentally bumped into the glass. The case shifted forward and fell to the floor with a loud crash. Mr. Ollivander rolled his eyes as Tonks smiled guiltily.

"Ms. Tonks, would you please be so kind as to put your clumsy, well-defined posterior into a chair while I still have some shop left?" Ollivander scolded. Tonks, well known for her clumsiness nodded and sat down in a near by chair.

"Now then where were we?" asked Ollivander. "Of course the first years. Step forwards my friends." Cloud and Tifa stepped towards Ollivander, who looked increasingly more and more puzzled. "You two can't be first years," he murmured.

"We're transfer students," said Tifa.

"I see, said Ollivander curiously. May I see your old wands please? Perhaps I can merely provide some wand maintenance instead of replacement."

"We don't have any wands," said Tifa looking at the floor as if she had done something wrong.

"Didn't you use wands at your old school?" asked Ollivander half-jokingly. His smile faded when he saw that neither Cloud nor Tifa were smiling. "Didn't you?"

Tifa looked at Cloud nervously. 'How do we explain this one?' she thought.

Cloud came to her rescue. "Our wands were damaged on the journey here. We need to replace them," he said.

Ollivander nodded, looked like was going to saw something else, but Cloud's hard gaze made him think otherwise.

"All right then. Ladies first. Miss, which is your wand arm?"

"Um, I'm right handed," answered Tifa.

"Very good," said Ollivander as he started to measure Tifa's arm. After a few moments of measuring Ollivander disappeared into the shelves of the store and returned with a long, thin wand box.

"Twelve inches, White Ash with a Unicorn mane hair. Very strong, not very bendy. Excellent for charm work." Ollivander handed the wand to Tifa. "Go on, give it a flick."

Tifa flicked her wrist and golden sparks sprayed out of the tip like glorious fireworks. Harry and his friends cheered and clapped. Tifa handed the wand back to Ollivander; afraid she had done something wrong. He smiled and handed it back to her.

"The wand has chosen you, my dear. Use it well and in good health."

"Thank you very much," smiled Tifa.

"Your welcome. And now for you sir." He beckoned to Cloud. "Which hand do you wield that massive sword attached to your back in?"

"My right."

"Very well." Ollivander began measuring Cloud's arm as he had Tifa's. After a while he ran back into his shelves and returned with a wand box.

"Ten inches, Oak with a dragon heartstring. Very bendy." He handed the wand to Cloud. Cloud flicked his wrist the same way Tifa had, expecting similar results. Instead Cloud's flick of the wrist sent an invisible wave across a shelf of wands. Boxes and wands flew across the shop, making a mess out of the once well-organized shelf. Ollivander quickly plucked the wand from Cloud's hand.

"No, no that won't do at all." Ollivander grabbed another wand from another shelf. "Eleven inches, Willow with a phoenix tail feather core." He handed it to Cloud and Cloud gave it a little wave. Another shelf of wand boxes flew into the air and began to pile up at everyone's feet.

"Nope, let's try again. Cedar, thirteen inches, dragon heartstring."

An invisible blast fired from the wand tip, blowing a round hole through the front window. The glass shattered, spraying the shop's occupants with the broken shards. Ollivander took the destruction in stride and brought out another wand.

"Beech, ten inches, unicorn tail hair."

A shelf of wands erupts into flames. Harry and Hermione quickly put it out with their own wands. Cloud drops the wand and steps away.

"Maple, nine inches, phoenix tail feather."

A shelf gets knocked clean over, smashing into another glass display case.

"Redwood, thirteen inches, Unicorn mane."

A fireball fires from the wand tip, nearly striking Ollivander in the face. He manages to duck in time so that the blast doesn't kill him; it merely singes his hair a bit.

"Shit," whispered Ron.

"Sorry," says Cloud softly.

"It's alright," says Ollivander, gently touching his burnt hair. "Let's just stay away from Unicorn wands from now on." Ollivander stood in concentration for a moment. He was beginning to grow uneasy; it was taking far to long to find the right wand. There were some cases where it took many, many attempts before the proper wand was found. Potter had been like that. They must have tried dozens of wands before trying the twin brother of You-Know-Who's wand. However, there had never been a single case where the wands had such violent reactions. And never, ever, had one set anything aflame or destroyed so much of the shop. It was going to take him a while to clean up this mess, even with magic. He had to find this boy a suitable wand while he still had a shop.

There was one wand that he was let to try, ever. He never brought it out of its box, not for anyone. He had never told anyone about this wand, well save for Dumbledore. But that was merely for security reasons, in case it was ever stolen. And now there was this boy. This boy with glowing blue eyes. There was something very unique about this boy, something powerful. Those eyes spoke to Ollivander.

'This boy has fought his way out of hell once already. And he has a world of fighting left to do still…' he thought. Without hesitating, Ollivander walked to the back of his shop. He removed the black box that contained from its hiding place under the floorboards. It was a Muggle hiding place, a wizard breaking in wouldn't expect that. He brought the wand out of its box and placed it on the counter, the only counter he had left, in front of Cloud.

"Here try this one. Fifteen inches, Ironwood, with a Phoenix Pinion core. This is one of my rarest and most powerful wands."

Cloud heard Hermione gasp when she heard Ollivander describe the wand. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Ironwood is extremely rare. There are only a few places left in the world where it grows. It is extremely durable, more like metal than wood. It is completely invulnerable to all but the most powerful of magic. But Phoenix feathers are very common for wands."

"This is the only one that ever gave up it wing Pinion," said Ollivander quietly. He stood at a distance from the wand, as if he was scared of it. "Phoenix's are very powerful magic creatures," he explained. "Their tears can heal any wound, they can lift and carry many times their own weight, and they are almost completely immortal. There is a great deal of magic in their tail feathers, which is why they are used for wands. But the bulk of a Phoenix's magic is found in the wing feathers, the Pinion the most powerful." Ollivander stepped back away from the wand. "No one has ever tried this wand before son," he said to Cloud. "I have no idea what it is capable of. You just try to be careful with it."

Cloud took the black wand cautiously. He had already accidentally destroyed most of Ollivander's shop and was starting to feel a little bad about it. And if this wand was as powerful as everyone thought it was, he could do some real damage this time. He grasped the wand and felt a warm sensation crawl up his hand into his arm. He waved it in the air and a golden light emerged from the wand, immersing Cloud in its radiance. The light grew brighter and brighter until it blinded everyone else in the shop. Light poured out of the broken window, filling the street. People walking by were drawn to the light, like moths to a flame. The light soon faded and people went back about their business. The occupants of Ollivander's Fine Wands were left a bit more astonished. It was Ollivander who broke the silence.

"It seems the Phoenix has chosen its master."

Cloud remained silent, still entranced by the Phoenix's power. He came out of his trance and looked at Ollivander.

"Thank-you," he said softly.

Ollivander bowed his head slightly. "That wand is capable of very great things, my young friend. Terrible, unspeakable things if wielded for the forces of evil, but wonderful, magnificent things if wielded for the forces of goodness. Remember that," he warned.

Cloud and Tifa paid for their wands and left with Harry and their friends.

"Oy, Ollivander is always so serious," said Tonks. "Everything is the end of the world with him."

"He gave me the same speech when I bought my wand," agreed Harry. "Where's the next stop?" Harry asked everyone else.

-VII-

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes stood out like a sore thumb against the dull, listless backdrop of Diagon Alley. The front double doors flaunted a kaleidoscope of bright, comical colors while the display windows were filled with boxes upon boxes of gags, practical jokes, and novelties. The group walked in through the front doors and were greeted enthusiastically by two magical mock up's of Fred and George Weasley.

"Welcome to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, my dear friends and family. Would you like to try our newest Skiving Snackbox, Cherry Upchuck?" asked the mock up Fred.

"Er, no thanks," replied Harry.

"If you are looking for us Harry, we are currently in the back next to the register," said the mock up George.

"Thanks," replied Harry. The group headed into the store to find Fred and George. The store was filled to the brim with people, mostly students looking for gags. There were bins of trick wands, Dungbombs, Extendable Ears, portable insta-swamps, "How-to" books, and there was even a small kennel in the back full of magical creatures like niffers and pixies for pranks. There was cursed clothing (guaranteed to turn the wearer's skin bright purple), cursed objects (Harry winced at the sight of rouge Bludgers), and even Muggle magic tricks like card jokes and slight of hand gimmicks.

The store was so full of people that it took forever for Harry to reach the rear of the store. Ginny had vanished early on to look at the pixies, while Tonks was pouring over the trick wands. Ron and Hermione had strayed off to look at Muggle magic tricks for Ron's dad. Cloud and Tifa remained close by to Harry, unsure of their surroundings. All of this was still very new to them and they were fascinated by even the simplest of gags. Eventually, Harry saw Fred and George. Both lanky red heads were wearing dark blue dragonskin vests and matching pants. Fred (or was it George) spotted Harry and came over to him at once.

"Hello Harry. Welcome to our humble little enterprise. Who is she, Harry? Blimey, she's gorgeous!" exclaimed George as he noticed Tifa. Tifa blushed slightly at George's comment and even more when she noticed Cloud's hand slowly move towards his sword.

"These are my new friends Cloud and Tifa," introduced Harry. Cloud and Tifa shook hands with the twins, although Cloud may have gripped George's hand a little too firmly. George gave a barely audible grunt of pain and quickly shoved his injured hand into his pocket afterwards.

"It's about time you got here Harry. After all as Vice President you have certain obligations to fulfill," said Fred.

"What kind of obligations?" asked Harry curiously. "I'm not being one of your guinea pigs. I remember what happened when you tried those early Canary Crèmes on Neville."

"Oh no," said George quickly. "We do all our own testing, it's cheaper that way."

"Well then what do you want?" asked Harry. The twins grinned mischievously at one another.

"You remember your birthday letter, right." Harry nodded. "Well, as chief mischief maker, with little Ronnie-kins, you need to live up to our legacy. Now we'll help you get started, we already have some delightful care packages thought up to send you. All jokes and pranks aside, there are several other things that bother us about this upcoming year," said Fred.

"No one knows more about Hogwart's secret passages than we do," said George. "No one except for the Marauders that is."

"I don't think my dad, Sirius, or Lupin is going to be sneaking around Hogwarts anytime soon," said Harry solemnly.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" asked George.

Harry looked blankly at him for a moment. He ticked off the names of the original Marauders in his head. James potter AKA Prongs, Sirius Black AKA Padfoot, Remus Lupin AKA Moony, Peter Pettigrew…

"Wormtail," Harry whispered lowly. The twins nodded.

"Pettigrew was the Marauder's rat. No doubt they sent him ahead at night to make sure the paths were clear before the rest of them headed out at night. And who knows how many nights he wandered Hogwarts while he was Ron's pet. He must know those passages better than anyone alive," said Fred.

"If You-Know-Who were to attack Hogwarts, Wormtail could lead him in completely undetected to anywhere in the castle," said George.

"What can I do?" asked Harry worriedly.

"First of all, tell Dumbledore. If he doesn't already know about this, then he needs to be told," said George. "And second of all you can put these in all the passageways." He handed a small pouch to Harry. Harry took the pouch and began to open it.

"WAIT!" shouted both twins. Several other customers turned and stared at the commotion. The twins ushered Harry, Cloud, and Tifa back behind the register.

"These are special mines Harry! You cant go playing with them like they're Dungbombs!" scolded Fred. George carefully opened the pouch and removed one of the mines.

"May I present Weasley's Warding Watchdogs," said George proudly. "What you need to do is plant a few of these in each and every passage. You say the magic password to arm them. Then no one can use those passages without meeting a messy end."

"What exactly do they do?" asked Harry.

"Well that depends on the password you use," said Fred. He lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "To make them explode, the password is 'Dragon Fire'. To make them bark like a real watchdog at anything that approaches, the password is 'Fluffy'. And we charmed them to ignore disillusionment charms and Invisibility Cloaks. The third feature we are very proud of."

"We call it Sticky Surprise," said George proudly. "When tripped, the mines explode in a sticky spider-web like mess that traps anything nearby by. It's a good way to save the intruder for questioning rather than blowing him up. The web is almost impossible to break, even with magic."

"That password is 'Spidey'. To deactivate the mines, just say the password again three times," said Fred in a low whisper. George put the mines back in the pouch and handed it back to Harry as Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks approached, their arms full of Fred and George's products. Fred gave Harry a quick glare, telling him without words to stash the mine pouch for now. Harry understood and put the pouch in his back pocket before anyone could ask what it was.

"Hey Fred, how much for all this?" asked Ron. His arms were full of trick wands,

exploding candies, Skiving Snackboxes, and a deck of Muggle cards. Ginny and Tonks were right behind him, both of their arms full of things too. Soon all three were pestering the twins about price. Fred started to laugh.

"Come on, you really expect us to take your money? You all get the friends and family discount. Everything is on the house, just as long as you don't want to take the entire store," said Fred.

"Consider it our way of thanking everyone for putting up with us for all these years," said George. "Besides we can always take it out of Harry's salary."

Everyone looked strangely at George.

"What salary?" asked Ron.

"Since Harry got our little enterprise on its feet in the first place, we decided that he should Vice President," explained George.

Everyone was flabbergasted. Ron was especially irate.

"I just asked you two for a job last week and you two said no!" he shouted.

"Yeah, well that was last week," countered George. "And if you don't like it you can pay for all that stuff instead."

Ron shut up.

The next stop on the door was Madam Malkin's Robes. While Cloud and Tifa got their school robes, the others kept themselves busy looking at dress robes. Fortunately, Cloud and Tifa didn't take very long in picking out school and dress robes.

"I'm hungry. Let's get some ice cream," suggested Ginny.

"Good idea," said Tonks as she shrank their bags into her pocket. Cloud remained himself to learn that spell for his sword. He loved his blade, as all swordsmen do, and would never part from it. However, carrying a sword as large as the Ultima Weapon on your back all day gets old quickly.

-VII-

The troop of students and young guardian crossed the alley and headed for Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They waited to enter the shop as a large, slimy blue blob slithered past. A young man was chasing after it, his clothes dripping wet.

"That's a Water Flan," whispered Hermione.

"I've never seen on of those before," replied Tonks. "They can be very dangerous creatures if they aren't properly trained."

"Looks like that one needed a little more training," laughed Ron as they watched the man try to put a leash on the escaped flan. They continued on their way into Florean's, careful to avoid the slimy trail of goo left in the Flan's wake.

As they approached Florean', Harry could see into the large display window that took up much of the storefront.

Inside was a young couple, no older than Tonks, eating ice cream with a baby boy. He was tiny, only a year or two old, and was having more fun playing with his ice cream and getting it into his blonde locks than eating it. His parents did not scold or reprimand him, they just laughed and cleaned him up cheerfully. The sight of such innocence and happiness brought a smile to everyone's face and warmth to their hearts. All day long they had been discussing the war against Voldemort and how bad things had gotten. Now looking through that picture window, Harry and his friends were reminded of simpler, happier times playing Quidditch or having snowball fights in the castle courtyards. It reminded Cloud and Tifa of relaxing on the beaches of Costa De Sol and of sitting by the Cosmic Candle in Cosmo Canyon. Looking through that window, it reminded Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks why they were fighting so hard against Voldemort. It reminded Cloud and Tifa why they had struggled so hard for the sake of the Planet and why they were going to fight someone else's war.

They fought for people like this young family. They fought for those who couldn't fight for themselves. So that others could live happily in peace…

**BOOM!**

Nobody saw it coming. No one could have, it happened too fast. It happened just as Harry was reaching for Florean's door. All hell broke loose in Diagon Alley…

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor erupted in a magical burst of flame. The force of the explosion hit Harry fully in the chest, sending his body flying through the air. The blast knocked everyone behind him back several yards, burning their hair, clothes, and exposed skin. Debris from the shop rained down on top of them, partially burying them in a fiery mess of wood and metal.

Cloud was the first to recover. He immediately leapt into action, his SOLDIER instincts taking over his thought process. He sprang up throw the burning rubble on top of him, splintering the wood into matchsticks. He quickly threw the refuse off of Tifa and the others. Not seeing where Harry landed, Cloud put the boy in the back of his mind. There were others that needed his help now.

"Get the others moving," he said to Tifa as he helped her to her feet. "Get that fire out," he ordered as he recklessly rushed headlong into what remained of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Cloud could barely make out Tifa screaming his name before the roar of the flames drowned her out.

-VII-

It was the fire incinerating his t-shirt that brought Harry back to the land of the living. He quickly patted the flames out with his hands and shook his head clear. Dazed and confused, Harry slowly stood up and awakened fully into Hell. Most of Diagon Alley was aflame; people were running around screaming, burning. Harry saw a legion of Death Eaters spewed from the darkness of Knockturn Alley, swarming the streets. They were cursing innocent people in the streets in broad daylight. Shoppers and Shopkeepers ran in horror, only to be struck down moments later. Voldemort himself couldn't be seen from Harry's vantage point, but Harry knew he was here. His scar was blindly painful; it only hurt like this when Voldemort was close. The last time it hurt like this Voldemort had been standing right next to him at the Department of Mysteries. And Harry felt as if his head was going to split in two. Voldemort had to be close.

Harry shook off the pain and returned to the situation at hand. This was his war and if this were to be its first battle than he would participate as such. Removing his wand from his jeans, Harry prepared for battle. He cast a quick thought for his friends and he prayed for their safety, but he couldn't worry about them now.

'They're fine. Go do what you have to do,' thought Harry as he ran towards the conflict.

-VII-

Cloud barely registered the fiery blaze surrounding him. He stained his enhanced hearing above the roar of the fire for any signs of life. He found Florean behind the counter. Or what was left of him. He must have been close to the source of the blast judging by the remains, or lack there of. Only a silvery, partially melted nametag was left atop a pile of ashen bones. Cloud felt a pang of pity for the man.

'This is no way to die,' he thought before continuing his search. The fire was becoming more powerful, a raging inferno of heat.

"This is no ordinary fire," he muttered as he pushed away a fallen roof beam. The structural integrity of the building was starting to fail; the roof could collapse upon him at moment, trapping him inside.

Cloud neared the rear of the store. So far he had covered most of the parlor and had found no signs of life. He began to head back towards the entrance, the only exit that hadn't been buried in rubble or sealed off by flame. As he approached the front door, he heard a faint cry nearby. Cloud whirled around, trying to home in on the soft noise amidst the roaring conflagration. He began to burrow through burning wood and roofing, desperate to find the sole source of life left in this hellfire. For what seemed like hours, Cloud dug into the wreckage, his hands burnt and blistered from the fire. Cloud worked past the pain, using the techniques he learned as a member of SOLDIER. He blocked out everything; the heat, the fire licking at his hands and face, the bits and pieces of roof falling on top of his head, and he focused his will solely on the task at hand. He had to find what was hidden in the burning wreckage of the ice cream parlor before it was too late.

-VII-

"Cloud!"

Tifa screamed his name as he leapt into the burning building.

'Why the hell does he always have to be the one to go and do something stupid and noble like that? It's going to get him killed one of these days!' she fumed. Shaking her personal feelings aside Tifa looked at the scene before her.

She was accustomed to scenes of devastation; she had seen many before. She had watched the Midgar plate collapse upon the helpless people of the Sector 7 Slums. She was there when Mideel sank into the Lifestream. She saw the destruction caused by the many WEAPON attacks upon the innocent. So when she saw Diagon Alley in flames, she didn't freeze up in horror or fall to her knees in terror. Just as Cloud had ran into the burning ice cream parlor, Tifa also leapt into action. She quickly removed the rubble and various wreckage that laid on top her new friends. She quickly got them all to her feet and began barking orders.

"Hermione, you and Ginny see to the fires. Get them out quickly before they start to spread!" Hermione and Ginny nodded and ran off.

"Ron, start getting these people out of here. Get them to whatever exits you can find that aren't burning or under attack." Ron, looking a little pale, found the courage to do what needed to be done and took off.

"Tonks, you're with me." Tonks pulled out her wand, brandishing it like a sword. Tifa tightened her gloves and ran into the alley, Tonks following close behind. There were skulls in need of cracking and they were just the girls to do it.

-VII-

Harry ducked underneath the latest Stunning spell, cursing his luck. He hadn't gone ten feet before he had been spotted by a small group of three Death Eaters. Now he was pinned down behind a row of garbage cans, rising occasionally to fire his own spells. His plan had been to sneak up on the unsuspecting Death Eaters, stun them before anyone could notice and move on to another group. He wasn't doing anyone any good sitting on his arse behind some smelly garbage cans. That's when the idea hit him.

Garbage cans.

Harry reached up, feeling with his free hand. He grasped the handle of one of the can lids and quickly brought it down.

"I hope this works," he muttered under his breath. He pointed his wand and exclaimed in a clear voice, "Protego!" The trash lid glowed silver for a moment then appeared normal once again. Harry grasped the lid like a shield.

"Here goes nothing," he said as he leapt out from behind his cover. He ran towards the Death Eaters, brandishing his trash lid. The Death Eaters stood shocked for a moment at the absurdity of the sight then started firing spells at the advancing boy. Unfortunately, Harry Potter was very good at casting The Shield Charm. All their spells reflected off of the trash lid and returned directly at the castor. The Death Eaters stunned themselves into submission. Harry lowered the lid and pointed his wand at the fallen evildoers. With a quick word, coils of rope wound about the three Death Eaters. Satisfied that they could do no more harm, Harry ran back down the alley.

He cursed Death Eaters on the run, often hitting them in the back as they were about to inflict harm upon someone else. Harry kept running, he kept cursing until his legs felt like lead and his lungs burned in his chest. Even his wand arm was beginning to feel like jelly. But he refused to stop and rest even for a moment. All the anger that had stewed and boiled inside of him all summer long was finally being let out and it felt good, no better than good. And the more he let that anger out, the more it seemed to grow inside him. It was as if the anger fed off of the violence and danger. So Harry kept on running and he kept on fighting; now not only to save the people remaining in Diagon Alley, but to also satisfy he own lust for vengeance.

-VII-

Hermione and Ginny ran towards the fiery blaze that had once been Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Wands drawn they aimed the tips at the burning rooftop.

"Aguamenti!" they shouted together. Jets of water shot from the wand tips, spraying the ruined roof. Yet the flames did not diminish. The fire still burned, stronger than ever. Hermione and Ginny kept casting the charm. And after each attempt the fires grew stronger.

"Run and find Tifa!" Hermione ordered Ginny. "Maybe the magic she learned at her old school can help!"

Ginny nodded and ran off, leaving Hermione alone to fight the fires.

-VII-

Cloud began to dig harder, faster. He struggled to reach the source of the soft whimpering, buried somewhere beneath the pile of rubble. His clothes were starting to burn, his hands blistering from the heat, his arms felt like rubber. But he kept digging. He came up for air and listened for the hushed whisper of sound. Cloud heard it again, louder this time. He was getting closer.

Cloud began to dig again with renewed fervor. He flung pieces of fiery trash and refuse over his shoulder. The noise grew louder from underneath the burning pile of debris. Cloud grabbed hold of a fallen roof beam, struggling to lift it. Beneath it was the young family he had seen through the picture window earlier. Cloud threw the great beam aside, his anger and fear fueling his body. He rushed to the spot where the young man and his pretty wife lay. Cloud felt his heart sink at the sight. The man and woman lay prone on the floor, not moving. The fires hadn't quite reached them yet. But Cloud had been around too many corpses to think they were still alive. Their deaths were reenacted in Cloud's mind. They hadn't been injured by the initial explosion, just scared out of their minds. Cloud could almost hear the baby screaming, terrified by the heat and smoke. The young mother had picked up the child, clutching its struggling form to her bosom to try and protect it. The young father undoubtedly tried to get his family to safety when the roof collapsed upon him, breaking his back. His death had been as quick as it had been tragic. His wife, shocked by her lover's sudden demise, knelt at his side when the smoke claimed her life. She drew it into her lungs unknowingly and fell beside her husband. The baby…

Where was the baby? Cloud eyes widened in horror. The baby was nowhere to be seen. It couldn't have gotten far from it's mother when she died. Cloud tightened his fists as a cold fear gripped his insides. Could the fire have gotten it? Maybe it was buried under more rubble? Maybe he was already dead?

"NO!" shouted Cloud into the inferno, refusing to give up. He knows that he heard something still alive in this shattered husk of an ice cream parlor. Cloud kept digging, kept climbing through the burning wreck. He refused to leave without that baby boy, dead or alive.

Cloud lifted aside another roof beam, burning his hands in the process. He cursed and clutched his injured hands. The fire was getting worse. He wouldn't be able to withstand the heat and smoke for much longer. If he didn't find the baby and get out of there soon, he would become a permanent resident of the ice cream parlor. The thought made Cloud laugh slightly.

"Heh, Tifa would kill me," he mumbled in grim humor before he began digging again. He hadn't heard the soft noise for some time and was being to lose hope.

Cloud abandoned the pile of rubble and returned to the bodies of the young couple. He reached down and brushed some errant ashes away from the young woman's face. As he touched the woman's face, he heard the noise again. It was coming from underneath the young mother. Cloud gently turned the body over, reveling the baby. His mother had practically smothered him in protection. She covered her child with her own body, sheltering him from the flames. Cloud bent over and cradled the baby in his arms. The baby lay still in Cloud's arms. He pressed his head against the tiny chest and heard a faint heartbeat. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief. The kid might just make it. Cloud's relief vanished as an entire section of the roof collapsed right next to him. Cloud managed to roll out of the way just the nick in time.

'No time left,' Cloud thought. 'I got to get out of here.'

-VII-

Ron wasn't having much luck with the mass of crazed people running about in Diagon Alley. He tried everything to get their attention: fireworks, magically enhancing his voice, he even magically wrote "Don't Panic! Calmly head for the exit," in the sky and walls of the entire Alley. Still no one paid him any attention. The people of Diagon Alley had become a crazed mob, something that was just as dangerous as the Death Eaters swarming around. Much like the mob rushing at Ron right now.

"People, please head for the exits. Just be calm…AHHHH!" Ron screamed as the mob bore down on him. The mob knocked Ron over and would have trampled him to death if two pairs of strong hands hadn't pulled him out of the way in the nick of time.

"Blimey Ron, with the amount of trouble you get into it's amazing you ever made it past puberty," said Fred.

"Yeah, what would you do with out us?" asked George.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe be happy for once," growled Ron as he brushed the dust of his clothes. "Where did you two come from?"

"Our shop obviously. We heard all the explosions and when we realized it wasn't coming from our shop, we came running," said Fred. "What is going on anyway?"

"Death Eaters," said Ron. "They blew up Florean's and are attacking everyone in the alley."

"Well what in the bloody hell are we standing around here for?" demanded George angrily. "Lets go!" He took off down the alley, hell bent on fighting Death Eaters. Fred was right on his heels.

"Here we go," muttered Ron as he chased after his brothers.

-VII-

"Beat Rush!" exclaimed Tifa as another Death Eater fell under her assault of punches and kicks. There was a growing line of unconscious and possibly dead Death Eaters lying prone on the sidewalk behind her. She cut a swathe through the Death Eaters, punching and beating down anyone who came within reach. Tifa was a whirlwind of fists and feet, something that the people of the Wizarding World were completely unaccustomed to. They were used to fighting with spells and wands; not hand-to-hand. Several of the Death Eaters fled from Tifa after watching her defeat their comrades so effortlessly.

Those that ran didn't make it very far. Tonks was waiting for them, cursing them with practiced aim. She used her natural skills as a Metamorphmagus to sneak around; disguising herself as an old woman, a dashing young man, and even another Death Eater to get close enough to blast the bad guys. She jinxed or cursed the Death Eaters, then slipped back into the shadows of the alley only to reemerge as someone different. She and Tifa were clearing the alley of Death Eaters. They had taken out a great deal of the bastards, but more and more kept coming out of the back alleyways.

Tonks stared from behind the eyes of elderly man as Tifa dodges a burst of lightning from a Death Eaters wand and floors him with a single kick to the head. The Death eaters were regrouping and decided to try and out maneuver Tifa. A group of seven Death Eaters surrounded Tifa with their wands drawn. Tifa stood stock still in the center of the ring of certain death, her eyes scanning over each and every Death Eater.

"AVADA KEDAVA!" the Death Eaters cursed simultaneously. Green bolts of fire flew at Tifa from all directions. Tonks turned away, unable to watch. She shuddered when she heard a body fall to the floor. Then another fell, and another, and another. Tonks peeked out from behind the corner where she was cowering. Tifa stood in the middle of a circle of seven dead Death Eaters. Tonks walked towards her new friend, completely dumbfounded.

"But...how…seven…killing curses…" Tonks stammered dumbly.

"I ducked," laughed Tifa.

"Oh," replied Tonks. "Never thought about that."

Their respite from the battle was interrupted by Ginny Weasley tearing down the street. She spotted them and ran towards Tifa, panting.

"We can't put out the fires. Hermione told me to find you, something about your magic that might help."

Tifa nodded. "Let's go then."

Ginny ran back towards Florean's, leading Tifa and Tonks back towards the inferno.

-VII-

Cloud dodged another falling beam as he tried to find a way out of this ice cream death trap. He had reached the front door, only to find it caved in behind a pile of burning debris. He could have cut his way through quickly with his sword, but that would mean he would have to put the baby down. Cloud refused to endanger that poor baby any more. He held the baby close and dashed into the next room with the only remaining picture window. The roof and walls were coming down all around him and Cloud knew he had only one chance left to escape. He tucked the baby into his SOLDIER uniform.

"Go for broke," Cloud muttered and dashed for the picture window. He ran full speed at the window and crashed headfirst with a thud. Cloud bounced off the window and fell to the ground. Luckily he still had the sense to fall on his back and not crush the baby. He picked himself back up and faced the window.

"Ok, lets try that again." Cloud drew his the Ultima Weapon and advanced on the window again. He swung the sword and cracked the window.

"What the hell do these people do to their damn windows?" he growled as he slammed the crystal blade again and again into the window. With each hit the cracks grew larger and more numerous until there was a massive spider web upon the windowpane. He swung the massive blade on more time and the glass shattered explosively. Cloud sheathed his sword and leapt out of the broken window. He landed on the hard pavement of Diagon Alley and ran away from the burning building.


	10. Ruin and Wreckage

Harry Potter and the Sons of JENOVA

Chapter X

"Ruin and Wreckage"

"Somebody help me!" Madam Malkin screamed while lying under a bit of fallen roofing. Her legs were pinned down and she couldn't get out of her shop. Luckily, the fires hadn't reached her robe shop, but she knew it was only a matter of time before her precious store was ablaze with the rest of Diagon Alley. So she started screaming for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear.

Someone did. It just wasn't whom she wanted to hear. A black robed Death Eater stepped into her shop. He saw Madam Malkin immediately; she was trapped in plain sight. A toothy grin plastered across his face when he saw her, like when a predator stares down its helpless prey. Madam Malkin squirmed and struggled from under the roofing, trying to free herself enough to reach her wand. The Death Eater watched her struggle, enjoying her plight while he walked over to her. He drew his own wand from the folds of his robe and held it causally at his side. He bent over and touched her, brushing some hair out of the terrified woman's face.

"You know," he said in a low, frightening voice. "I always hated wearing your stupid robes." His smile contorted into a frown as he stood up and raised his wand at her. Madam Malkin threw her free arm in front of her face, not wishing to witness her fate. "Avada Ked…"

The rest of the incantation never left the Death Eater's throat. When she realized she was still alive, Madam Malkin slowly peered out from beneath her arm. The Death Eater was standing stock still, his wand still raised at her and his mouth slack like a fish. Madam Malkin lowered her arm and stared at the motionless Death Eater. A flash of movement filled her with dread once again and she hid once again behind her arm. This time it was a kind voice instead of silence that brought her up.

"It's alright Madam Malkin. He can't hurt you."

Madam Malkin peered out and was greeted by a pair of green eyes. She immediately recognized the voice.

"Harry Potter?"

He smiled. "Come on lets get you out of here." He bent down and freed her from the rubble. She slowly made it to her feet and looked up at her savior.

"Thank you my dear," she smiled graciously. He nodded. "What did you do to him?" she asked pointing at the still frozen Death Eater.

"Body Lock Curse," he said as they approached the Death Eater. Harry reached out with one arm and lightly pushed the Death Eater. He fell backwards like a board of wood and landed with a loud thump. Madam Malkin gave a light laugh.

"Nicely done," she commented. She took a look around her devastated shop. "Oh, my. This is going to take quite some time to fix."

"Right now we need to get you out of here. Let's go," he said. She withdrew her wand from her pocket and together they ran from her shop.

Harry led the way, pausing in the robe shop's entrance way. He quickly scanned the street for any threats and then motioned for Madam Malkin to follow him. The pair made their way down the alley, stopping and hiding behind various amounts of cover along the way. They were able to make their way fairly quickly, there were no Death Eaters to hinder their progress.

Near Quality Quidditch Supplies, Harry heard voices. He ducked behind a crumbling wall to hear. Madam Malkin crept up next to him. They could barely make out the angry voices. Harry slowly peeked out from the wall. There were two masked Death Eaters conversing. The voices sounded familiar to Harry. He was sure he had heard them somewhere before.

"Where are they? They should have been here by now!" growled one of them.

"Patience, Nott. They haven't been near people in many years. Let them have some fun before joining us. We will allow them a little more time," said one of his companions. Harry immediately recognized that voice. He could recognize that smooth, cold voice anywhere. It was the voice of a Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy. Harry suspected that she had taken the place of her imprisoned husband. Harry also recognized the name of her companion, Nott. They were members of Voldemort's Inner Circle: his most trusted and the highest ranking of his Death Eaters. Familiar rage returned to Harry and his blood began to boil. Clutching his wand like a sword, Harry prepared to storm out from behind his cover and attack. Madam Malkin saw the hatred in Harry's face and grabbed hold of his arm, not letting him charge into a fight.

Harry was about to shake her off when he felt it. It was small at first, but it was growing exponentially. Something was shaking the ground itself, like an earthquake. Harry could hear it now, a low and regular _thump, thump, thump_. The noises and tremors grew louder and stronger.

"What is that?" wondered Madam Malkin. Her eyes were wide in fear and she grasped Harry's arm harder and harder as the tremors came closer.

"I don't know," replied Harry, his own fear growing. He stole a look at the Death Eaters. They were laughing. They knew what was coming.

"Ah, here they come now," said Narcissa.

'They,' thought Harry. A sudden realization stuck Harry and a wave of cold fear tightened his guts.

"It sounds almost like…" started Madam Malkin.

"Footsteps," Harry finished for her.

-VII-

Tifa, Tonks, and Ginny sped around the corner and arrived back at what little remained of Florean's. The shop had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of burning wood, its rooftop caved in from the fire. What was once a place where the young and old enjoyed a moment of peace and happiness was now just piles of flaming refuse and ash.

Tifa stared at the remains of the ice cream parlor. "Cloud you stupid jerk," she muttered under his breath. She started walking towards the burnt out building when she heard a small cough. Tifa spun around and breathed a sigh of relief.

Cloud was sitting with his back against a nearby wall of another building than had been spared by the fires so far. His head was hung low between his knees and he was breathing heavily, coughing up the smoke he had inhaled inside Florean's. His SOLDIER uniform was blackened from the heavy amounts of soot and his face was streaked with lines of ash. Tifa ran over to his side as he shuddered in another coughing spasm. Behind him, Hermione sat rocking a small bundle in her arms. It was the baby boy, his face black with ash like Cloud's but was otherwise just fine.

Tifa smiled at the sight of the baby. She looked down at Cloud and asked, "Was there anyone else?" Cloud raised his head and shook it gravely. A single puff of flame flickered at the top of the largest blonde spike in his hair. Tifa licked her fingers and snuffed the flame out.

"Thanks," whispered Cloud between coughs. "What's going on?"

"Well," answered Tifa. "Tonks and I were attacked by a bunch of guys in black robes she called Death Eaters who are killing everything that moves in the entire alley. We took out a lot of them before they ran off. Harry is still missing and Ron is still trying to get people out of the alley. Oh, and the girls haven't been able to put any of the fires out."

Cloud stood up and brushed some of the soot and ash off of his shirt. He was about to speak when a mob of hysterical people came tearing down the street. The terrified mob ran right past Cloud, Tifa, Ginny, and Hermione without a second glance. Bringing up the rear where Ron, Fred, and George.

"What's going on?" called Hermione at the fleeing brothers.

"GIANTS!" screamed Ron, Fred, and George together over their shoulders as they kept running. Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks' eyes grew wide in fear. Without hesitation, they ran off after the twins. Cloud and Tifa looked at each other briefly, and then ran towards the area Ron and the twins had just left. They didn't have to run very far. The alley was completely destroyed. Entire buildings had been toppled over, fires burned unchecked, and Cloud and Tifa could hear the trapped people's screams. In the distance they could see the culprits. They were hard to miss.

There was 3 Giants, each close to 30 feet tall. They were filthy, covered in mud and clothed in crude, black animal skins. Two had long, greasy, matted hair, while the third was completely bald and was missing most of his teeth. He was the biggest and ugliest of the bunch, probably the leader. All three were waving around large clubs; which upon closer examination proved to be just uprooted trees clutched in their hairy fists.

Cloud and Tifa, who were both accustomed to seeing strange and unusual things, showed no signs of fear or apprehension when they saw the Giants. They climbed over the destroyed buildings, leaping from fallen rooftop to fallen rooftop. Climbing and scaling the rooftops reminded Cloud of escaping from the Sector 6 church with Aeris. The thought of the flower girl caused a brief pang of pain, but Cloud buried his feelings and focused on the situation at hand. They climbed over the last ruined home and sprinted the remaining distance, covering the ground between them and the Giants quickly. They rounded a corner and were confronted by a horde of Death Eaters. They were traveling behind the Giants, mopping up anything the Giants missed. The Death Eaters opened fire on Cloud and Tifa. The street quickly turned into a powder keg. Flashes of green lightning spat across the sky and Cloud and Tifa leaped backwards, back into cover behind the corner.

"So what now?" asked Tifa, breathing heavily. She opened up her Materia bag and began to rummage through it. She picked out a large green one. "Ultima?"

Cloud stood hunched over, his hands resting on his knees. He shook his head, "Ultima is too widespread. We'll take out the rest of the homes." He peeked out from around the corner and quickly withdrew his head as a blast ricocheted off the wall. He then opened up his own Materia bag. "How about Flare?" he asked Tifa.

"I think there are enough things already on fire right now Cloud," Tifa said. She took a turn peeking around the corner. The Death Eaters had ceased firing and were slowly advancing on their position.

"Here they come," she warned Cloud. They felt the rumbling of the Giants approaching as well. "What do you want to do?" she asked calmly. Most people would be frozen in terror or fleeing in panic, but she wasn't worried that these were 20 feet tall Giants they were dealing with. Or that they were vastly outnumbered and fighting wizards that they didn't know anything about and magic that they had no experience against whatsoever. In fact, Tifa and Cloud were a perfect picture of calmness. They both knew that they had come up against much worse monstrosities than a couple of Giants. These Giants wouldn't have even come up to the kneecaps of the Ultimate WEAPON. And they had faced far greater odds against the Shin-Ra Corporation's armies. What were a few tall dirty creatures with bad hygiene and some badly dressed guys waving a bunch of sticks around in the air compared to that?

Cloud felt the same way.

"Take 'em all down on three?" he smiled at her, cocky as ever.

Tifa smiled back and tightened her fighting gloves. "On three."

Cloud drew his massive sword and crouched in readiness. He nodded to Tifa.

"One…Two…" he counted down.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Tifa interrupted.

"What?" Cloud asked impatiently.

"Do we go on three? Or is it one, two, three then go?"

Cloud rolled his eyes at Tifa's questions. _'You gotta be kidding me…'_ he thought.

"Well its your ass babe," he replied smiling.

Now it was Tifa's turn to roll her eyes at Cloud. "Right, right. On three."

"We go on three?" Cloud asked to make sure.

"Yeah."

"Ok. One…" Cloud tightened his grip on his sword.

"Two…" Tifa rose from her sitting position to a ready crouch.

"THREE!"

Screaming war cries, Cloud and Tifa leapt over the remains of the wall and charged fearlessly at the Death Eaters.

-VII-

Hermione, Ginny and Tonks fled just behind the Weasley Twins and Ron with the remaining shoppers and store clerks through what was left of Diagon Alley, a horde of Death Eaters and a Giant nipping at their heels. The crowd was in a panic; people were tripping and falling in the rush: only to be stomped by the massive feat of the Giants or the terrified mass of people. Soon the fleeing people were engulfed by the Giants, surrounded by tree-like clubs and stinky feet. The Giants swung their heavy clubs into the crowd, batting people high into the air only to come down crashing into buildings or the unforgiving pavement. Others brought their clubs straight down on the terrified mob, smashing and squashing dozens of people beneath them. One Giant gleefully set down his club and began stomping his feet through the crowd, laughing as he skipped and hopped down the alley like a schoolchild.

Ginny ran through the alley, picking up people who had tripped in front of her without ever slowing down. Always glancing over her shoulder for the next foot or club coming down to snuff her life out, she also managed to keep an eye on the rest of her companions. Hermione was running on her left side, separated from Ginny by several other screaming shoppers, clutching the baby Cloud rescued to her chest. Ron and the twins were on her right side. Ron was terrified, his pale face even whiter than usual with fright. His freckles stood out like streetlights. He kept tripping over his own lanky legs and feet; the twins needed to constantly catch him from falling and being trampled by the crowd or Giants. Ginny couldn't see Tonks, but she could hear her voice. It somehow boomed over the screaming and smashing and disgusting laughter bellowing from the elated Giants.

"EVERYONE GET INTO GRINGROTTS!" her magically enhanced voice shouted over the dim. The crowd immediately reacted and herded towards the great, enchanted doors of the Wizarding Bank. The Giants heard too and increased their assault, doing everything they could to see that no one made it inside that bank alive.

Ginny glanced over her shoulder as a club swooped down just above her head, so close that she could feel the wind as it passed. She increased her pace and ran faster than she thought she could. Something blocked out the sun and Ginny jumped to the left as a hairy foot crashed down indiscriminately where she just was. Up and running before she was overtaken by the mob, Ginny searched frantically for Gringrotts. The great bank was in sight, so close but still so far away. Ginny peeked over her shoulder again as a Giant loomed over her and her brothers.

"Look out!" she shouted at her family as a club's shadow engulfed them. The club came down upon them with a roaring _whoosh_. Ginny dived out of the way just before it crashed into the ground. The club landed smack in the middle where she and her brothers had been running, it was so wide that it still nearly hit her despite leaping out of the way. Ginny looked up at the uprooted tree the Giant had used and stared. As it lifted, Ginny's eyes widened in horror.

Her brothers were gone. There was no blood, no bodies. They were just gone. Ginny's eyes, welling up with tears, searched everywhere for something, any sign of her brothers. People ran past her, Giants stepped over her, but Ginny stood stock still amidst all this chaos.

'Where are they?' she thought desperately. 'Where could they be?' A sudden horrific thought flashed through her head and she looked up at the club that nearly just killed her, deathly afraid that her brother's bodies may be dangling grotesquely from it.

Nothing. A mix of thankfulness and fear washed over Ginny as she continued looking. More people rushed by her, one man ran into her nearly knocking her over. Ginny spun from the impact, almost falling when someone grabbed her shoulder. It was Tonks.

"Ginny, come on!" she shouted and shook her back to her senses. Ginny looked at her with sadness in her eyes and Tonks instinctively knew why. "Come on girl," Tonks said gently and pulled Ginny towards Gringrotts. Everyone left alive in the crowd was making their way up the stairs and into the bank. Ginny and Tonks were at the very end of the crowd, the last. They became the sole targets for the pack of Giants. Upset that their prey was escaping, the Giants bellowed and gnashed their broken teeth at the two young ladies and charged.

Tonks grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her up the stairs as the Giants closed in.

"Shut the doors!" shouted Tonks. Inside, terrified Goblins pulled at chains and levers, some lined up and pushed the doors with their spidery hands. The doors began to close as the two girls rushed up the stairs, taking them two or three at a time. They reached the doors seconds before the Giants reached the bottom of the stairs, just out of reach of their huge clubs, and squeezed themselves through the remaining space as the door closed. Ginny and Tonks popped through the crack, stumbling into Gringrotts. They spun and threw their bodies against the doors, aiding the Goblins.

Tonks was nearest to the crack and could still see outside. Death Eaters, traveling behind the Giants, were storming up the stairs brandishing their wands. Doubling her efforts, Tonks pushed and pushed, straining her already tired muscles. The door groaned and creaked, but budged with dreadful slowness.

"Push!" shouted Tonks at the others, urging them on. The doors resisted briefly before slamming triumphantly into its jams, closed and sealed. Tonks, Ginny, and the Goblins let out a collective sigh of relief and collapsed against the door, tired, drained, but alive.

WHAM!

The bank doors rumbled under a fierce blow. It startled everyone and they all scrambled away. Tonks stood there, watching the doors shake from the impact.

WHAM!

The bank doors shook again. Leaning up against the door, Tonks could hear shouting from the outside.

"Hit it again!"

"Get the little bastards!

"Break it down!"

"Smash it to bits!"

"Harder you lazy dogs!"

The Death Eaters screamed encouragements at the Giants. They pounded on the doors with their clubs and meaty fists. Those Death Eaters not spouting encouragements and threats cast spells and curses at the doors, making little popping noises as they struck harmlessly.

WHAM! WHAM!

The vicious blows came harder and faster and those outside cheered and jeered louder with each blow, but the doors of Gringrotts held.

Tonks stepped away and looked at the huddled mass of frightened people milling about like sheep. Even the Goblins, who know all the multiple enchantments on those doors better than she did, were frightened. But there were still two other people inside Gringrotts that hadn't broken down, that still remained strong and brave. Two Gryffindors through and through. It was Ginny, her lower lip quivering slightly and her eyes misty over the disappearance of her brothers, and Hermione, gently rocking the crying baby in her arms. Ginny must have told her about Ron and the Twins as slow tears rolled down her cheeks. Tonks took the two girls gently aside by the arm, away from the others. She needed their help now and tried to explain as gently as possible.

WHAM!

"Listen good now. Those doors are magic, really old, strong stuff and they won't break for a good while. But sooner or later they will break and then they'll all be able to come inside. So I need to go and get help. I can't contact anyone from the Order in here and we need 'em. I need you two to take charge in here, alright?" Both Ginny and Hermione nodded. "Keep them away from the doors and keep them calm," Tonks instructed. "I'll be back soon," she smiled and gave the girls a wink. They smiled back at her and Tonks knew that no matter what happened that they would be fine, that they were strong enough to handle it. She was about to apparate out of the bank when Hermione grabbed her arm.

"Here, take him with you," she said handing Tonks the squirming baby. Tonks took the child and the baby cooed at Tonks' bubblegum hair and reached out and tried to pull on it. Tonks giggled at him but still held him at arm's length.

Hermione and Ginny laughed at Tonks and it surprised them both that after everything that had happened today that they could still laugh about something. Tonks gave them a knowing smile and stepped back away from them.

"And be ready to jinx the hell out of anybody who apparates inside too, girls," she warned. "Can't be too careful," and with that Tonks disappeared with a loud pop.

-VII-

"You clumsy git!" yelled Fred. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" he asked as he pulled a half-eaten, moldy sandwich off his expensive Dragonskin pants.

"I was trying not to get squashed!" Ron replied defensively. The Giant's club had nearly killed them all. Ginny's warning came for too late for them to react to. In fact, it had hindered them more than it had helped. At the sound of her voice, the three boys had stopped in their tracks to listen, each with a priceless look of confusion etched across his face. It was Ron who saw the club first, or rather its shadow. The club blocked out all light as it came racing down to crush them. Too frightened to tell his brothers, or breathe for the matter, Ron tried to run away. Terrified, he tripped over his feet and crashed into his two brothers, sending them head over heels into a back alley and a large pile of very smelly trash cans.

"You're welcome by the way," Ron muttered. "That's the thanks I get for saving your lives."

"Saving us? You tripped over your own bloody feet! Some hero you are," laughed George, unceremoniously pulling a banana peel off his head.

"If it wasn't for me you two would be just a greasy spot on the street!" argued Ron loudly.

"Shh," hissed Fred.

"Don't tell me to Shh!" shouted Ron back at him.

"Shh," whispered George, ducking behind a trashcan and pulling Ron down with him. Clamping his hand over Ron's protesting mouth, George pointed towards the front of the alley.

A Death Eater, hearing all the shouting and commotion coming from the alley, had entered to investigate.

The three brothers didn't move, didn't even breathe. They remained hidden by the garbage cans, but they knew that it was only a matter of time before the Death Eater found them. Ron slowly shifted his body so he could draw his wand. Suddenly, a cold sensation trickled down his back. Ron snapped his head up and looked it his brothers. Or at least where his brothers were. They were gone; Ron couldn't see them at all.

"Shh," whispered Fred's voice behind him. "Disillusionment Charm. Look at your hand."

Ron looked down at his hand and saw right through it. He knew he wasn't invisible like Harry was when he used his cloak, but that his skin was an exact copy of his surroundings. Sort of like being a really big, human chameleon.

The Death Eater continued to walk down the alley, coming closer and closer towards the hidden brothers. Suddenly, the Death Eater tripped and fell! The mask hit first with a crumbling of plastic and fell away, reveling a young, pretty face with raven black hair behind it. Ron gasped in spite of himself. He always thought Death Eaters were old, ugly hags with warts like Bellatrix Lestrangeor was a nasty pureblood with their nose stuck up in the air like Malfoy's mother.

The Death Eater heard Ron's gasp and drew her wand. She aimed it in the direction of the noise and started to search for the source. She crawled on her hands and knees right at Ron, until her wand tip was mere inches away from his nose. Ron scrambled backwards, knocking into trashcans and scattering garbage all over the place.

"There you are," she purred in a husky voice. "Crucio!" She started casting curses randomly at Ron's direction, some just missing him by inches. Ron dove backwards trying to find some form of shelter from the flying curses of pain.

"Aguamenti!" shouted Fred's voice as a jet of water shot out of his wand like a fire hose. The blast slammed into the pretty Death Eater and drove her against the alley wall. She screamed and fought against the torrent of water, but the flow was too strong and kept her pinned against the wall. Finally, the stream lessened and she fell slack against the wall, dripping wet and dazed.

"Arachnidia!" shouted George's voice. White coils burst from his wand in the shape of a massive spider's web. They flew through the air and glued the Death Eater to the wall. She thrashed and struggled, but the sticky strands held her down.

Ron stood up as the cold sensation returned, this time it traveled up his body as the Disillusionment Charm was lifted. He could see Fred and George again, the twins were marveling over their handiwork.

"Nice bit of work with the web charm," complimented Fred. "About time you got that to work."

"What was that?" asked Ron as he walked towards his brothers to look at the trapped Death Eater.

"Spider Surprise," answered George proudly. "A spell I've been working on for a while. Never really worked before."

"You used an experiment to save me!" exclaimed Ron.

"You're lucky we saved you at all!" countered Fred. "Next time we might now bother."

"Let's just get out of here," said George. "Tonks said they were heading for Gringrotts. We can just apparate inside and meet them."

"Alright," agreed Fred. "Let's go." He and his twin began to walk away.

"Wait! I don't know how to apparate!" complained Ron. Both Fred and George rolled their eyes at Ron. True, they both well knew that Ron couldn't apparate, but they couldn't help teasing their brother a little more.

"Blimey, do we have to do everything for you Ronny?" teased George.

"Alright, you can side-along with me," said Fred. He laid a hand on Ron's shoulder and they disappeared with a loud pop.

George took one last look at the pretty Death Eater still struggling in his spider web, a multitude of curses streaming out of her mouth.

"Tsk, Tsk," he mocked. "Didn't your Mum ever teach you that's not very lady like?" George gave her a parting wave and disappeared after his brothers.

-VII-

Harry and Madam Malkin continued to watch Nott and the Lady Malfoy mill about Diagon Alley. They hadn't left the area, despite the rumbling and great explosions of noise and fire caused by the arrival of, Harry could only assume, Giants. Nott and Narcissa were speaking in low tones. Harry strained to hear, but was too far away and too hidden to make anything out. Harry tried to creep closer, only to be held back again by Madam Malkin. Harry grit his teeth in annoyance. 'This is getting old,' he thought at he spun around to face the much older woman.

"Let go of me," hissed Harry. Madam Malkin's eyes widened in fear that Harry's voice had been heard. She quickly looked over Harry's shoulder at the pair of Death Eaters. Thankfully, they were still to involved with their own conversation and hadn't heard Harry.

"Be quiet," she scolded the boy. "You'll get us caught.'

"I don't care," retaliated Harry. "I need to hear them. Let me…"

"Look," interrupted Madam Malkin, pointing at a large black shape approaching Narcissa. Harry shrugged her off his arm roughly and looked.

A large black owl silently fluttered down and landed on Nott's outstretched arm. He plucked a note from the owl's leg and handed it to Narcissa. She unfurled the message and read it quickly.

"They've arrived at Gringrotts. We're to join them at once." Nott nodded and began to write a note to send back with the owl. Narcissa turned her back to Harry and uncovered a pair of black brooms.

'That must have been how they got here,' thought Harry. 'It'd be impossible to stop people from flying into the alley undercover, there's no way to stop them.'

"Hurry up Nott!" called Narcissa as she mounted her own broom and kicking it up into the air. She took off and awaited him several feet above the rooftops. Harry and Madam Malkin slid further behind their crumbling wall to avoid being spotted. Nott quickly finished his note and sent the owl back into the air. He clumsily jumped onto his broom and joined Narcissa in the air. Together they sped off into the sky.

Harry waited until they rounded a corner before leaping to his feet. Rushing out to the spot the twp Death Eaters just stood at, he searched the area for another broom. There were none. Harry cursed his luck. He had to follow them somehow.

"Arghhh!" he shouted, letting his frustration get the better of him. "I'd give my right arm for my Firebolt…right…now," Harry looked up at the wall Madam Malkin was emerging from and stopped dead sentence. A poster for the new Firebolt II hung in tatters on the battered wall. Memories of the Triwizard Tournament came rushing back to Harry as he drew his wand and pointed it at the Quality Quidditch Supply store.

"Accio Firebolt II!" he commanded. There was a crash of glass and the broom flew into Harry's waiting hand. The wooden handle was smooth and light in Harry's grasp. The broom seemed to radiate energy, like it had an inner desire to take to the skies and fly. Harry leapt onto the broom. It hovered steadily just off the ground. Harry was just about to take off and follow the Death Eaters when Madam Malkin grabbed his arm, again.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded with him. Harry rolled his eyes at the scared, but increasingly annoying woman.

"Do you still have your wand? Harry asked. She nodded. "Can you Apparate?" She nodded again. Harry slapped her across the cheek. Not hard enough to hurt her, but enough to startle her and release a little bit of his frustrations with the woman.

"You can Apparate to anywhere you can think of and you're still here!" he shouted. "Get the hell out of here!" With that, Harry kicked off and flew into the sky.

Madam Malkin stood still for a moment, lightly caressing the spot Harry had slapped. Realizing her error, she pulled out her wand and vanished into thin air, just like Harry told her to.

Meanwhile, Harry couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. After being banned from Quidditch, he never thought he'd fly like this again. The wind flew through his longer hair, unfurling his loosely constructed ponytail. He quickly rose into the air, passing the rooftops instantly. The ground blurred by as Harry rocketed after Nott and Narcissa. He caught up to them frightfully fast, almost to the point of overshooting them. Harry had to pull back hard on the nose of his broom to keep from being spotted. Naturally, the Firebolt II handled perfectly and they slowed in time. Now flying much slower, Harry could see the streets below and the vast amounts of carnage.

Most of Diagon Alley was burning; great pillars of smoke clouded the skies. Even high above the flames, Harry could still feel the suffocating heat rising into the air. Squinting through the smoke, Harry could see massive indentions and craters in the streets: the footprints of Giants. In places where the clouds of smoke parted, Harry could see the Giants in the distance. He could see the tops of their heads and could hear their laughter carry on the wind.

While passing through another cloud of smoke, Harry lost sight of Nott and Narcissa. Stopping and hovering in midair, Harry searched the skies for the pair. All he could see was more smoke all around him. Harry pushed the nose of the Firebolt downward into a perfect dive. 'Maybe they already landed,' he thought.

As Harry flew closer and closer to the ground, the devastation of Diagon Alley grew worse and more terrible to behold. Many of the fires were burning out of control. The animal stench of the Giants and coppery scent of blood hung heavily in the air. The bodies of the helpless victims lay stretched out on the streets in grotesque death throes, bloody and broken. Harry's heart sank at the sight as bile rose in his throat. He quickly looked away, afraid he might see a friend amongst the bodies.

Harry continued to fly, somehow, over the trampled and ravaged streets, a mixture of sadness and anger etched across his face. The sights only added to the already over-powering sense of guilt and anger that had been consuming him all summer.

"God damn you, Voldemort," he muttered through grit teeth. Harry's hands began to shake with rage, nearly disrupting his flying.

Far up ahead, Harry could see the tops of Giant's heads over the buildings and a loud hammering sound, like someone knocking heavily on a closed door. He began to climb up over the buildings to get a better look when someone screamed in the distance. It was a girl and it sounded very familiar to Harry.

"Cho…"

* * *

A.N.

Yeah, I know it's been awhile since I updated this story. Between school, work, writer's block, and excessive drinking I just got caught behind the 8 ball on this one. Sorry. I will be bouncing back and forth between this story and my X-Men/Sin City Fic "Blood, Bullets, and Broads". So there will be more updates along the way.

Nataku's Wrath


	11. Deadly Reunion

Author's note: Sorry it took me a while to write this chapter, but as you can see it was a really long one and alot happens, so pay attention. There will be a quiz at the end. Need to warn you though. This chapterhas a great deal of violence in it with some pretty nasty scenes and there is a bit of foul language and maybe even a suggestive theme or two mixed in. There I warned you and covered my own ass. Oh, as always, I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Harry Potter.

Enjoy and keep reviewing. The more I get, the faster the next chapter will roll out.

* * *

Chapter 11

"Deadly Reunion"

Two loud pops drew everyone's attention inside Gringrotts. Many cowered in terror, believing that Death Eaters were trying to enter. Several ran for the bank vaults in panic. Some went for their wands, refusing to go down without a fight. Ginny and Hermione stood in front of all, casting spells at the intruders the moment they arrived. The intruders jumped and danced in fright at the oncoming curses.

"Stop, stop! It's us! It's Fre-," one intruder shouted before being interrupted by Ginny's infamous bat bogey hex. Bat-winged snot flew around his head, entwining his hair.

"Please…HaHa…it's us…HaHaHa…Hermione…HAHAHA!" gasped another intruder in between bursts of laughter. Someone had hit him with a tickling curse; making him laugh uncontrollably and making him roll around on the bank floor.

At the sound of her name, Hermione looked at squirming intruder. She couldn't get a good look at him while his features were contorted in laughter and he was rolling around so much.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

"YAHAHA…It's Ron…HAHAHA!"

'Ron,' Hermione thought. 'Couldn't be.' Her eyes couldn't believe it. 'Ginny said they were lost, dead. Maybe it was a Death Eater in disguise. Yes, it had to be Death Eaters.' She was one of Harry Potter's best friends after all. Surely Voldemort would want to deceive and use her and Ron to get to Harry. She was about to blast the intruder when she caught a look at the boy's eyes. They were so familiar. 'Maybe it really is Ron,' she thought. 'I have to be sure.' She lifted the curse off the intruder, but kept her wand aimed at his chest, ready to condemn him to a fate much worse than a tickling curse.

"Prove it," she ordered harshly. The boy took a moment to catch his breath and raised himself to one knee.

"You've been the top student at Hogwarts in our class every year," he said.

"Everybody knows that," said Ginny as she walked over. She eyed up the Ron look-alike carefully. It looked a lot like her brother, but after Tonks' warning, she knew she couldn't be too careful.

"You have a birthmark on your right cheek," he said softly. Hermione instantly turned bright red. Ginny looked at her friend's face carefully.

"You don't have a mark on your face," she observed. Hermione's face grew even brighter. It suddenly dawned on Ginny.

"Ron!" she shouted as she spun around at her brother. He grinned sheepishly at the two girls, just before they both hexed him.

The twins, recovered from their own curses, approached and the family was reunited. Well, except for Ron. He was still fleeing from the army of bat bogies while dancing to Hermione's Jelly-legs curse. Thankful tears were shed and there were hugs all around. Eventually, Hermione released Ron from the curses. She smacked him once on the arm before pulling him in for a kiss that lasted a little too long for Ginny's taste.

"You two are disgusting," she smirked. The twins heard and they all started to laugh. Ron and Hermione, still in lip lock, flipped them the finger.

WHAM! Another blow struck the bank doors, sending the twins scrambling and finally breaking Ron and Hermione's kiss.

"What the hell was that?" cried Ron.

"The Giants that chased us, remember," explained Hermione. "They've been trying to get in for a while now."

"Where's Tonks?" asked Ron as he looked around at the terrified people crowding the back of the bank and then back at Hermione. "She didn't…" he gulped.

Hermione shook her head. "She went to alert the rest of the Order and get help. She should be back soon." A sudden volley of loud pops echoed through the bank lobby. "Speak of the devil," smiled Hermione. Tonks and over a dozen members of the Order of the Phoenix walked into the alley. Kingsley Shacklebolt led the way with her.

"Thought we lost you three," said Tonks, seeing Ron and the twins as they approached the teens.

"They're too stupid to die," mumbled Ginny. If the group heard her, they ignored her.

"What's the situation?" asked Kingsley, clearing trying to take charge.

WHAM!

The newcomers recoiled at the blow, clearly startled. Ginny rolled her eyes at the "brave" adults.

"That's the situation. There's a lot of Giants and Deatheaters out there wanting to get in here," she said with plenty of attitude.

"Why don't they just apparate inside like we did?" asked Dawlish. He was one of the recent additions to the Order after Dumbledore had basically jinxed him out of the Ministry last year.

"Because they know there's a lot of people in here, most of which are adult wizards of some sort, just waiting to blast whoever comes in," stated Hermione. "That's what we did to the boys when they popped in. We would have been able to hold them for awhile, at least until Tonks returned." Hermione frowned. "But I don't know how long we could have lasted if the Giants got in."

"Well, we're here now," said Tonks cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood of her friends. "And Dumbledore and the others are on their way. They should be here in a few minutes. After all, it's a long way from Hogwarts."

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

"They don't give up easily, do they?" wondered George.

"Not when they want something," replied Kingsley. He glimpsed past the huddled crowd at the entrance of the bank vaults. 'But I'm not sure it's us they want,' he thought darkly.

Several members of the Order approached the massive doors, as the Giants continued their increased assault. Their blows rained down harder and faster upon the doors, but the enchanted gates held strong. Kingsley carefully gazed over the doors. The Giants blows has left a small indention in the great bronze doors, but had caused no other visible damage. Confident that the doors would hold, Kingsley started to walk back to Tonks and the teens.

Outside, the blows stopped. It wasn't a pause between attacks; they ceased all together. Kingsley stopped and walked back to the doors. He faintly heard shouting on the other side. He held his ear to the door and listened carefully.

The amassed Deatheaters were cheering a name Kingsley didn't recognize over and over very loudly. Soon the Giants began shouting the name too. The shouting reached a frenzying pace, the Deatheaters chanting in unison and the Giants roaring as loud as their mass lungs could muster. A sudden white light erupted on the outside, its own roar drowning out the Deatheaters and Giants. The light pierced through the seams of the bank doors. Kingsley and the others had to shield their eyes from the intense glare. The light and its roar faded and the shouting began again, with new and increased fervor. The Deatheaters and Giants shouted louder than ever, chanting for this name, this thing with unreal fury. Kingsley stepped away from the door, drawing his wand. The other Order members near him did the same.

Suddenly, a silver blade pierced through the doors, showering sparks over the Auror. The blade sliced through the door, not sawing, just cutting through the massive doors like they were made of paper. Doors that withstood the thunderous blows of Giants. Doors enchanted with the oldest of magic. Kingsley stood in awe as the thin blade of silver continued to dissect the doors.

"That's impossible," Kingsley muttered. The other members of the Order of the Phoenix stood shocked besides him. Great chucks of bronze and mithril flew from the door and Kingsley could see glimpses of Deatheaters and Giants waving their weapons and cheering. And he caught glimpses of black leather and silvery hair.

The doors groaned under their own weight and rattled against their frames. Kingsley looked at the remaining door and then back at the sword butchering them. 'No force on Earth, magic or not, can do that,' thought the astonished and frightened Kingsley. He knew the exact spells and enchantments on those doors. Anti-intruder charms, anti-dark magic, strengthening charms, durability charms, sealing spells, everything and anything you could think of. He knew that no mortal weapon, even one enchanted with the darkest and most potent magic's could cut through that door. Utter hopelessness fell upon him and he realized that whatever it was outside working for Voldemort, whatever or whomever it was, that they couldn't stop it. Perhaps not even with the full strength of the Order. Kingsley turned away from the doors and ran to the confused and frightened Tonks.

"Kingsley, what's out there?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear. "What's doing that?"

Kingsley looked away from her, refused to look into her eyes. He was afraid that seeing her fears would increase his own. And he couldn't show fear now. "How deep do those vaults go?" he asked roughly.

"Um, pretty deep I think," Tonks stammered.

"You take these people and you go as deep as you can. You hide and you stay there as long as have air," he ordered.

"No, I can help you guys. I'm in the Order…" started Tonks.

"NO!" bellowed Kingsley, startling Tonks and everyone nearby. He didn't pause when Tonks eyes widened in fear of him. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her. "GET THEM INSIDE THE VAULTS!" he ordered again. He released Tonks, pushing her in the direction of the vaults. Tonks stared at Kingsley, her mouth open in silent protest. But the look from Kingsley's dark eyes ended any argument before it began. Tonks, accepting her orders, turned away from Kingsley.

"Everyone!" she called out. "Follow the Goblins into the mine vaults!" The already scared crowd grew more frightened at the announcement, milled towards the vaults. They followed a younger Goblin named Tumahab into the darkness. Tonks watched from the lobby, making sure everyone stayed together. Then she turned to her younger friends.

"Alright. Into the vaults," she said dryly. Instantly, moans of protest emerged from the teens. "Shut up!" Tonks said harshly. "If I don't get to fight, then there's no way in hell that you all will. Now get your asses into the vaults." Ginny and the twins issued one more murmur of protest before they joined the crowd and hurried down the stone stairs into the mines.

Tonks gave Kingsley and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix a small smile before shutting the door to the vaults. A tear crawled down her heart-shaped face as she sealed the stone door behind her and walked down the torch-lit stairwell.

-VII-

Kingsley watched Tonks lead the Weasley children and Hermione away into the mines and a part of him wanted to go with them. He didn't know what was cutting up the ancient entrance to Gringrotts, but he was scared of it. He was an Auror before joining the Order and he knew the score.

But he was the oldest and most experienced member of the Order of the Phoenix here and he was one of its leaders. He was here to lead the witches and wizards under his command. He bottled up his fears and suppressed them deep within his heart. He put on the bravest face he could muster and walked back towards the doorway.

"Alright," he barked at his small squad of witches and wizards. "We got incoming! Form up!" he ordered like a drill sergeant. The frightened faces of the Order hardened and each witch and wizard snapped into ranks and stood stiffly at attention. Kingsley paced in front of them, looking each member fiercely in the eye.

"We are the first and last line of defense here people. Now they," Kingsley pointed dramatically pointed at the crumbling door, "want in. And by the looks of things, they're comin' in any minute." He looked at his squad at their reactions. Some were frightened at the thought of a battle, others excited. Kingsley stepped his speech up a notch. "Now, we are going to make a stand right here and WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET THEM INTO THOSE VAULTS!" Some of the younger members of the Order flinched at the sound of Kingsley's raised voice, while others nodded in agreement. "We get behind some cover and we hold. If these sons of bitches want it, they are going to have to walk over my cold dead corpse to do it!" Shouts of determination rose from the squad. "They started a war here today," Kingsley said grimly. "They attacked us first, caught us with our pants down. The cowards attacked our people, our families. They will not get away with this. They started the war, and, as God as my witness, I mean to finish it right here, RIGHT NOW!" The entire lobby echoed with Kingsley's booming voice and with the shouts of rage from the members of the Order.

The Order of the Phoenix quickly took positions throughout the lobby. They hid behind wall columns and overturned desks for cover. And they waited, with their wands drawn, for the door to fall. Tension filled the air and the seconds seemed to drag on for eons. They didn't have to wait long…

-VII-

'This is too easy,' thought George as he waited. In all the chaos and confusion inside the vaults, it had been child's play to duck away from his brother and Tonks. He simply stayed in the middle of the crowd, where it was hardest to pink out a single person, and when he saw Tonks turn her back, George slid into a dark alcove and cast another Disillusionment Charm on himself. Perfectly hidden in the alcove, he waited until the group of survivors and his friends and family moved deeper into the vaults. Once the coast was clear, he ran back up the tunnel to the massive stone door. Looking quickly over his shoulder to make sure no one was following, George lifted the Disillusionment Charm and threw his shoulder into the door. The door didn't budge and George was left with a very painful shoulder.

"Sure could use Fred right now," muttered George as he rubbed his shoulder. He did feel a little bad leaving his twin partner in crime behind. He didn't tell Fred he was going back up to the surface. Fred had just as much right to fight as George thought he did, but if anyone had seen them whispering to each other then Tonks would have dragged them down into the vaults by their ears. George didn't feel bad about disobeying Tonks, though. He knew she'd understand. After all, Kingsley made her go down into the vaults too. George was tired of this kid's table shit. He was of age and a damn good wizard, even though he and Fred used their talent for jokes and gags instead of practical uses, much to the eternal disappointment of their mother. Well, now George was going to show them all that he wasn't an immature little kid anymore and that he deserved to be in the Order. And once he was in, they would have to let Fred join too. Maybe he'd even put in a good word for Ron. Maybe.

Determined to prove himself, George lowered his shoulder into the door and began to push against the door. The door slowly began to grind open until it was open enough for George to wedge his lanky frame through and he popped back into the bank lobby.

-VII-

With a final, anguished groan, the great doors of Gringrotts collapsed with a tremendous thud. A great cloud of dust erupted into the air. Kingsley squinted through the dust, searching for a target. As the dust settled he could make out a single figure, standing in the ruined doorway. Even as the dust cleared, Kingsley could barely make out the figure's shadow.

"FIRE!" roared Kingsley. Red, green, and violet bolts spewed from the wands of the Order. The magic hurtled through the clearing dust at the shadowy figure. Many blasts of magic found their mark and Kingsley saw the figure jolt and buckle, but the figure didn't fall as the magic struck. Several bolts missed, ricocheting off the doorframe or ripping long gashes in the floor. More dust and smoke rose into the air, hiding the figure once more.

Kingsley held up his hand, signaling a cease-fire. With simple hand gestures he ordered Dawlish, Willy Widdershins, and Elphias Doge to investigate. The three wizards hesitantly moved forward towards the cloud of dust.

"Did you get him?" a voice asked from behind Kingsley. Kingsley spun around and came face to face with George. The young man had snuck up behind the Auror and had seen everything.

"Damnit George! What the hell are you doing up here? You're supposed to be in the vaults with the rest," cursed Kingsley. George just looked at him innocently, a look that was well practiced on the boy's mother. Kingsley glared at the boy. "Get your ass back in the vaults before I…" Kingsley never got to finish.

A white-haired man, clad in black leather, burst through the cloud of dust. With a flash of steel, the man drew an enormous sword; one so large it was difficult to believe a single man could wield it. Kingsley looked on in horror as the man leapt at Dawlish, Widdershins, and Doge. Before anyone could react, the massive blade flashed through the air. There was a spurt of blood and three heads flew across the bank lobby, and Kingsley saw with his own eyes the heads struck the ground before the bodies. One of the witches screamed at the gruesome sight and one of the other wizards lost his lunch. Kingsley, overcome with horror and rage, began cursing indiscriminately at the man in black. The curse struck the man in the chest and slid off his body like water splashing against a stone. The rest of the Order followed suit and resumed their attack, but their magic had as little effect as Kingsley's. The man in black flicked the wet blood off his blade and slowly walked towards the Order.

George watched, frozen in horror. His wand found its way into his hand, though he never remembered taking it out of his pocket. The man in black dashed across the lobby, becoming nothing but a black and white blur as he attacked a group of witches taking cover behind a row of desks. He cut through them like they were tissue paper. The man in black disappeared into a blur again, this time appearing in front of George. With a fierce shout, George began to cast spell after spell at the man in black, using everything he had ever learned or had invented. They all just washed off the man's chest like they were party favors. George continued to cast spells anyway. No matter how in vain it was, he refused to go down without a fight. The man in black strode forward and raised his lengthy sword.

Kingsley stood besides George, also fruitlessly casting spells at the man in black. Despite the situation, the Auror couldn't help but be impressed by the boy's resolve. As the man in black loomed closer, Kingsley pulled his trump card. "INCENDIO CIRCUMMUNIO!" he bellowed and a wall of fire erupted in between George and the man in black. The orange flames quickly encircled the man in black, trapping him inside the ring of fire. George lowered his wand and stepped back from the intense blaze. He joined Kingsley in a sigh of relief.

Their rest and reprieve didn't last long. The man in black calmly strode through the wall of fire, completely unscathed by the furious flames. He just passed through like they weren't even there at all. Not even his long white hair was harmed. He raised his sword and leveled its razor sharp tip at George's chest.

George stared into the glowing green eyes of the man in black and saw nothing. The man in black's eyes were empty, devoid of all life and emotion. Then the man in black speared forward and the sword whistled through the air as it sped towards George and all George could do was pray that it wouldn't hurt…

-VII-

Kingsley watched in horror as the man in black bore down on George and reacted without thinking. He dashed in front of George, right in the path of the man in black's sword. An awful, stabbing pain exploded in his chest and reached all the way to his back…

…And then he felt no more.

-VII-

George screamed in pain as the sword pierced through Kingsley's back and sank into his right elbow. The blade cleaved through the joint and George watched as his right hand fell to the floor in a spray of blood. He fell to the floor, lying next to his own hand, clutching his bloody stump of an arm.

The man in black slowly retracted his sword out of Kingsley. The Auror twitched grotesquely and blood splayed from his wounds, covering the man in black from head to toe, his white hair stained. Once the blade was fully out of Kingsley's prone body, he flicked his wrist and shed the excess blood off the sword.

George stared up at the man in black and for a long moment, George thought the man in black was going to finish him off. The man in black stared at George. A small flash of feeling sparked in the man in black's otherwise emotionless eyes and then he walked away. George remained on the lobby floor, in a puddle of his own blood, and watched the man in black tear into the rest of the Order (who were now all cowering in fear after seeing what happened to their leader Kingsley), before the world went black and the last thing George heard were the screams…

-VII-

She never saw it coming. Cho had been shopping with her friend Marietta, whose face was heavily caked in makeup. The SNEAK acne was still etched prominently across her face, a testament to Hermione's magical skills. They were leaving the Apothecary when the attack began. Death Eaters swooped in from the clouds on black broomsticks and fires exploded all around Diagon Alley. Cho and Marietta ran through the alley in a panic, dodging and ducking under spells and fires.

A massive fireball exploded in the girls' path, forcing them into a side alleyway. There, the two girls tried to catch their breath and figure out what was happening all around them.

While they were resting, the girls were too scared and out of breath to notice a black cloaked figure on an equally black broom fly out of the clouds and land at the entrance of the alley. The figure eyed the girls lustfully and announced his presence in a low laugh. When Cho heard it, it sent chills up and down her spine. She spun around and finally saw the dark figure.

"Well, well. Now here's two tasty treats for me to snack on," sneered the Death Eater at the two girls. He pulled his hood back and grinned lecherously at the girls, his bald head gleamed in the fractured light in the alley and his dark eyes shown with a sinister desire. A large scar on his right cheek blemished his otherwise clean, middle-aged face. He drew a bone wand from the folds of his cloak and began walking towards the two scared teenagers.

Cho frantically looked for a way out, but the only way out of the alleyway was cut off by the Death Eater. With no way out, she fumbled into her pocket and drew her wand. She pointed at the Death Eater, her hands shaking fiercely with fear. The Death Eater laughed loudly, sounding like a horse, at her attempts to defend herself. With a flick of his wrist, he sent Cho's wand out of her hand and skittering across the alley floor. Marietta tried to draw her own wand, but was so scared she fumbled about and dropped it herself. The Death Eater laughed even harder. He resumed his stalking-like pace towards the girls, fingering the tip of his wand.

"Well now, lets have some fun," the Death Eater said as he licked his lips. He waved his wand about in the air and a large, frightful axe materialized in midair and fell into his waiting hand. Made of some sort of stone or dark metal, the axe was massive. Its blade was nearly as large as the petite Marietta and looked razor sharp. The Death Eater clasped the long wooden handle and deftly spun the weapon over his head dramatically. Cho looked at the axe with dread and Marietta's face grew ghostly pale. The Death Eater smiled at their reaction and tucked his wand into the folds of his cloak.

"So who wants to go first?" the Death Eater asked grimly, pointing his axe at Cho then Marietta. His gaze lingered on Marietta and his sadistic smile grew wider and more fearsome. Terrified, Marietta wavered and fainted dead away into Cho's arms. Cho barely managed to catch her friend before she hit the ground. The Death Eater's smile vanished and was replaced by an angry scowl.

"How dare you faint before the fun even begins!" he yelled at the girls. His furious gaze landed onto Cho. "Now you shall suffer for you both!" he bellowed at her. He raised his axe and took a step towards Cho.

Cho struggled to move with Marietta in her arms. She looked around for something, anything she could use as a weapon, but a few trashcans and a broken mop stood little chance against the monstrous axe. As the Death Eater stepped closer and closer, Cho began to despair. Finally, there was only one thing left.

Cho tilted her head back and screamed…

-VII-

Harry raced over the rooftops, weaving through think clouds of smoke. With every scream he heard, Harry willed the Firebolt II faster and faster until the wind pushed back his cheeks and made his eyes water.

The screams grew louder and closer. Harry pulled back on the nose of the broom, slowing his breakneck pace. He swooped down, underneath the smoke, and began to look in every nook and cranny for Cho.

Harry was growing more and more frustrated. He could hear Cho's screams again and again, but he still hadn't been able to find her at all. As her screams had become more frantic and high-pitched, Harry knew he was running out of time. He flew even lower, until he was only inches off the ground. He swept past rubble and a black broom leaning against an alley wall. He was going so fast he nearly looked over it. 'Nott was on a black broom,' Harry suddenly remembered and pulled back hard on his borrowed broom, bringing it to a grinding halt. Harry quickly backtracked to the alley and black broom. Harry peered into the alley, but couldn't see anything but black inside the dark alleyway. Pulling up on his broomstick, Harry sped back to the rooftops and slowly flew over the alley. As Harry looked down into the alley, he didn't see anything until he reached the end of the alley. Harry saw Cho cowered against the dead end of the alley, holding another limp girl in her arms. Harry saw a Death Eater towering over the defenseless girls and the gleam of the rising axe and bald head…

Blood boiled in Harry's head, his knuckles turning white as he clutched the Firebolt II. Hot rage consumed him as he watched the axe stop high above the Death Eater's head.

Without realizing he was doing it, Harry pointed the Firebolt II downwards and hurtled at the Death Eater, heedless of the danger, until the world became a speeding blur whizzing by his face. An inhuman roar of rage escaped his lips as he closed in.

The Death Eater turned seconds before the collision, his dark eyes wide in surprise. The broom and boy crashed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling to the alley floor. Harry flew off the broom and into the alley wall. Either Death Eater or boy moved afterwards.

-VII-

Cho couldn't believe her eyes. For a long moment she stood in shock, unable to move to help her savior or even call for help. It all happened so fast; she didn't even see the face of the boy who had flown in like some guardian angel. It wasn't until the thin frame of the boy began to stir that Cho snapped out of it. Gently laying Marietta against the wall, she ran to the side of the face down boy. A pair of round glasses lay on the ground next to him. Cho picked them up before hovering over the boy. With a groan the boy started to rise up, only to fall back down. Cho bent down and wrapped her arms around his right arm and shoulder.

"Here, let me help you," she said softly as he tried to sit up again. This time, with her help, he was able to make it to his hands and knees. With more support and encouragement from Cho, the pair limped over to the alley wall, where the boy leaned heavily against before sliding down into a sitting position. His long hair was completely askew, covering his face. Cho knelt down in front of him and gently pushed back a lock of hair away from his face, revealing an unmistakable lightning bolt scar upon the boy's forehead. Cho fell back wards in sheer shock.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. The boy coughed loudly before looking up her, his green eyes very familiar to Cho.

"Hi Cho," Harry said softly with a light smile.

Cho could only stare at Harry, speechless. 'Of all people to fly in and save me, it had to be Harry Potter,' she thought. She was surprised that he was still alive after a stunt like that. Or that he would even do something like that after everything that happened between the two of them last year.

"Where did you come from? What were you thinking? Why did you do that? Are you OK?" Her questions came at Harry a mile a minute. He laughed lightly, until it brought up a searing pain in his side.

"Nice to see you too, Cho," Harry said to the young witch, wincing. She didn't reply but looked carefully at him clutching his ribs.

"I think you broke some ribs. What did you think you were doing? You could have been killed," she scolded him. "Besides, I could have handled him," said Cho in false arrogance.

"You're welcome," muttered Harry as he slowly stood up. "Don't expect me do to it again. That bloody hurt." Cho smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood. She stood up with him. Being a year older, Cho had always been a little taller than Harry. Now they stood eye to eye. An awkward moment passed as they looked at each other, the events of the last year replaying in their minds. Ghosts of feelings began to crawl their way back from wherever they had been buried. Neither Cho nor Harry could say anything; words became caught in their throats. Neither knew what to say anyway.

"You little bastard!" shouted a voice. The Death Eater staggered around behind them, using his massive axe as a crutch. Blood gushed from a broken nose and his breathing was ragged. But he still had his wand out and pointed at Harry's head. "Harry Potter. The Dark Lord will greatly reward me for bringing him your head."

Harry stepped forward, placing himself between Cho and the Death Eater. "Avery," Harry recognized the Death Eater. "It's been a while. What's the matter? No innocent hippogriffs for you to kill around," taunted Harry.

Avery sneered back at Harry. "After you resurrected the Dark Lord, Potter, he has given me and my axe much tastier necks to enjoy. Like your little friend back there," Avery gestured to Cho, who shuddered behind Harry. Harry's fists clenched tightly. Avery continued. "And after I get you out of the way, she and I are going to have some fun." Harry couldn't take it anymore and he lunged at Avery. He caught Avery off guard and tackled the bigger man. Harry straddled his chest and started raining punch after punch down on Avery's already broken nose. Harry beat the Death Eater for several seconds until Avery was able to free one of his arms. Using his greater strength and weight, Avery pushed Harry off of him. Harry rolled across the alley floor and into a crouched position, ready to spring again.

"Crucio!" Searing pain flowed from Avery's wand and swept through Harry's already weak and weary body. He screamed as he hit the ground. Avery continued to hold the curse, angrily snarling at the boy. He refused to end the curse, relishing in Harry's pain.

Cho stood by helpless, tears straining her cheeks as she shouted, "Stop! Stop it!" at Avery. He ignored her and continued to sadistically enjoy Harry's pain. Her cries unheeded, desperate anger swelled up inside Cho, and she ran behind Avery and leapt onto his back, biting and scratching and hitting the much larger man. The Cruciatus Curse on Harry broke as Avery struggled to get remove the crazed teenager off his back.

"Get off you bitch!" roared Avery as he swung his arms back and forth. His blind swinging loosened Cho enough for him to grab onto her long hair. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed and pulled roughly on the hair. Cho screamed in pain and lost her grip on Avery's back. Avery pulled harder and yanked Cho off his back and she stumbled in front of him. Avery quickly released Cho's hair and grabbed her by the throat instead. Using his great strength, he lifted her up off her feet. His grip tightened as he brought up his other hand to strangle the girl. She desperately clawed at Avery's face and tried to break his grip, but Avery proved too strong for her. Cho's vision began to grow hazy as Avery licked his lips, watching her slowly die. Her struggles lessened as her limbs began to grow limp.

Harry lay motionless on the ground as the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse slowly passed. He finally managed to lift his head to see Cho being choked by Avery and rage returned to his weak body. Summoning strength he didn't think he still possessed after such a long and trying day, Harry managed to get to his feet. Reaching into his pocket, he drew his wand and limped towards Avery.

"Hey Baldy!" shouted Harry. "You think you're a big tough guy? You're a real evil dark wizard huh, picking on a girl not even half your size. Voldemort must be so proud," taunted Harry. Avery turned his head towards Harry at the mention of the Dark Lord's name. He slowly lowered Cho, but didn't remove his hands quite yet.

"What do you know of the Dark Lord, Potter?" questioned Avery. He threw Cho to the ground. She took a harsh breath and rubbing her bruised throat, but managed to roll away from Avery. Avery began to walk towards Harry. "The Dark Lord is powerful beyond your most horrible nightmares, Potter, and soon you will see them for yourself."

"Yeah, Yeah," mocked Harry. "I heard that all before. I've been hearing that since I was a first year. And I never believed a word of it." He kept his wand trained on Avery's face the entire time.

Avery glared at Harry then dove into his pocket for his bone wand. He managed to free the wand when Harry shouted; "Expelliarmus!" and Avery's wand flew out of his hand and into a pile of garbage. Avery roared as he lost his wand and, using both hands, grabbed on to his axe. He charged at Harry like a madman, swinging the massive axe wildly. The swing missed Harry by a mile. Avery wound up to swing again, but Harry was already upon him. With no time to even think of a spell, let alone cast one, Harry lunged blindly at the Death Eater. Brandishing his wand like a knife, he stabbed at Avery's face. With a disgusting squish, the wand tip sank into Avery's left eye. Blood and eyeball and stuff that Harry didn't want to know what it really was sprayed out of the wound as Avery shrieked. Harry suddenly had a strange flashback to Halloween his first year at Hogwarts when he stabbed a troll in the nose with his wand. Harry grimly smiled at the irony while Avery clutched his ruined eye and staggered away, Harry and Cho forgotten. Harry picks Cho off the ground and pulls her away from the screaming and cursing Avery. He stumbled into the alley wall and fell over into a pile of trashcans. He staggered to his feet and ran out of the alley, running into everything littering the street. Harry and Cho watched as Avery disappeared with a loud pop and the two teens finally gave a sigh of relief.

"I hate that guy," muttered Cho. Harry nodded in agreement. The two teens looked at each other and shared another awkward moment before Cho's eyes suddenly lit up. "Marietta!"

She ran back to her best friend, who was still lying unconscious in the corner of the alley's dead end. Cho wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and sat her upright. She gently shook Marietta, trying to wake her. Harry stood aside, leaning against the wall, his own injuries taking their toll on his body.

"Come on, come on. Wake up," pleaded Cho until Marietta finally began to stir. Harry turned away and limped down the alley. He retrieved his own borrowed broom and Avery's black one as well. Avery's broom was one that Harry never saw before. It wasn't a Nimbus or a Firebolt; it wasn't even a Comet or a Cleansweep. Harry continued to inspect the broom until a high-pitched scream shook the alleyway. It was Marietta, still sitting on the ground, and she was pointing into the sky. Harry followed her finger and turned his gaze upwards and despaired.

The Dark Mark gazed back down at him…

-VII-

Meanwhile, on the other side of Diagon Alley,

Cloud and Tifa were enjoying themselves very much as they battled a troop of Death Eaters and 3 disgusting Giants. Their bold charge had surprised the Death Eaters and Giants and Cloud and Tifa were taking full advantage.

Upon leaping out from behind the ruined wall, red fire burst around Cloud and fierce green lightning danced along the edge of his sword.

"Blade Beam!" he shouted as he swung his blade down at the Death Eaters. A crescent-shaped blast of pure energy swept from the sword's edge and crashed into a very overweight Death Eater. The blast incinerated him and the following shockwaves killed and knocked out dozens of Death Eaters around him. Cloud followed up on his own attack and quickly hacked and slashed through the remaining Death Eaters without trouble. The Dark Wizards never got a single spell off.

While Cloud dealt with the Death Eaters, Tifa ran straight for the Giants. With incredible speed and agility, Tifa dodged the massive clubs and feet. She jumped back as the giant with matted black hair and stained coverings smashed his tree trunk club down upon the street. Tifa leapt up onto the tree truck and ran up the Giant's arm. The Giant swatted at her and waved his arm to throw the girl off, but Tifa was too fast to be hit and too strong to be thrown off. She ran across the Giant's broad shoulders, bracing herself at the back of the Giant's neck. Still ducking underneath the Giant's swatting hands, Tifa raised both her gloved fists and slammed them down in a vicious hammer blow to the Giant's neck. The Giant groaned in pain and tried harder to knock Tifa off. She ignored the Giant's frantic swatting; Tifa slammed her fists into the neck again, even harder this time. And again. And again. Tifa's fists of steel pounded on the Giant's neck, driving the massive head of bone and very little brains towards its barrel chest. The Giant fell to one knee under Tifa's assault. Tifa crouched down and leapt into the air, higher than any human should be able to go. She positively soared. And when she came back down to earth she came down feet first, driving her heavy boats into the Giant's neck with rock-crushing force. The Giant roared in pain and collapsed to the ground with a great thud. Tifa rode the Giant all the way down to the street, using its matted black hair for reins. She hopped off its back just before he crashed. She calmly brushed the hair out of her face and watched Cloud pick apart the last one or two Death Eaters.

Meanwhile, the two remaining Giants had seen what happened to their brethren and were quickly bearing down on Tifa. The massive, ugly men blocked out the sun as they towered over the girl. Tifa watched them approach calmly and then cracked her knuckles, a small smile forming on her face.

Cloud appeared at her side, finished with the Death Eaters. He held his sword loosely on his shoulder he grinned at her. She flashed a smile back, knowing exactly what the smile meant. It was almost like fighting monsters back home.

"Two of them and two of us. Which one do you want?" asked Cloud.

"I don't know. Neither looks like much of a challenge. Which one do you want?" replied Tifa.

Cloud studied the two approaching man-like monsters. "I'll take the ugly one," he decided. Tifa looked at the two Giants, then back at Cloud, and then back at the Giants.

"Which one's the ugly one?" she asked laughing lightly. Cloud laughed as well.

The Giants interrupted the comical moment between the two and a tree truck crashed down in between the pair. Cloud dashed to the left and circled around the Giants while Tifa harassed them in front, distracting them.

Behind the greasy blonde Giant, Cloud vaulted off a nearby wall and lunged at the Giant's legs. Using all his strength, Cloud slashed through the tendons and sinew on the back of the Giant's legs. The Ultima Weapon tore through the muscular hamstrings and Achilles' Tendons like they were mere paper. Unable to support his own weight, the Giant pitched forward. Tifa was waiting.

As the Giant collapsed, red fire erupted at Tifa's feet and she leapt at the Giant's falling head. She met it in midair and, just before they collided, Tifa threw her weight backwards and spun in the air. She lashed out with a powerful Somersault kick, shattering the Giant's nose. Blood gushed from the Giant's nostrils as Tifa used them as a springboard to jump away. The Giant crashed into the ground and lost consciousness.

Cloud quickly turned to face the last remaining Giant, the big, bald one. The Giant swung his tree trunk club at Cloud, trying to smash him into a greasy spot on the street. Cloud ducked underneath the first blow and brought his sword up as the second closed in. Cloud jumped towards the Giant, right in the path of the club, with his sword raised in front of him. The club hit the sword dead on. The enchanted crystal split the tree truck in two, turning the massive club into measly splinters and wood chips.

On the street below, Tifa pulled a small green orb from her Materia bag and equipped it into her left glove. She focused on the orb for a moment and a burst of searing flames ignited in the air. It traveled up the two halves of tree trunk Cloud just cleaved and leapt onto the Giant's waist. The magic fire burned at the mangy furs that just barely covered the Giant. Forgetting all about Cloud and Tifa, the Giant jumped up and down, trying to put out the flames with his huge hands. The fires didn't smother under his hands and spread to the hair on the back of the Giant's hands, quickly sweeping up the hairy arm. Screaming, the Giant tore out of Diagon Alley, leaving his brethren behind. Cloud and Tifa watched as the living fireball leave.

"Well that was fun," said Tifa cheerfully. Cloud didn't reply. He was staring up into the sky. "Cloud, what is it?" Tifa asked as she tried to figure out what he saw.

Cloud pointed at a dark wisp of cloud swirling about in the sky. The haze continued to swirl and darken until it turned putrid green. Chills swept down Tifa's back as the green cloud began to form a colossal skull with a writhing serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As they watched, the skull rose higher and higher until it stopped. Cloud could just make out the top of the building beneath the skull. It was Gringrotts.

"Let's go," said Cloud grimly.

-VII-

It didn't take long for Cloud and Tifa to reach Gringrotts. The road to the bank was heavily trampled from Giant footsteps and littered with the broken and bloody bodies of witches and wizards. Cloud and Tifa saw no sign of the Giants and Death Eaters that must have caused all the destruction.

They ran up the front stairs and stood in the ruined doorway, the gilded doors they had seen just that morning whole and beautiful were now nothing but crumbling rubble. And there were bodies. Dozens of bodies: stretched out on the floor, faces frozen in silent screams, their flesh torn and mutilated. Ribbons of blood decorated the walls and carpeted the floors. And there was one man still alive, standing over the piles of people. He held a massive, thin sword, its metal stained red and its tip still embedded in the chest of a gray haired wizard. The man removed the sword and slowly, robotically turned towards Cloud and Tifa. Cloud's eyes' widened and Tifa's face grew pale at the sight.

From head to toe, the man was covered in blood. It was as if he had bathed in it. His handsome features and snow-white hair were stained red, his black leather clothing slick with blood. His weapon was smeared with the still warm blood of his victims. But it was his eyes that were the worst. They were totally vacant, not a shred of emotion remained in the glowing orbs.

"No…it can't be…" Cloud muttered. "Sephiroth!" he shouted as he drew the Ultima Weapon from its sheath.

Sephiroth didn't respond to Cloud, only tightened his grip on his blade. A single drop of blood dripped off its edge. It splatters like a pin drop onto the floor, echoing in the silence of the lobby. Sephiroth charged at Cloud, swinging his sword like a butcher's cleaver, trying to cut Cloud in half. Cloud managed to get his own sword in front of him just in time to parry. The two warriors wrestled for advantage, their swords grinding against one another. Cloud managed to push Sephiroth back and assumed his fighting stance, waiting for Sephiroth to attack again.

Sephiroth quickly recovered and a gloved hand shot out at Cloud. An invisible wave of power sprang from his hand and struck Cloud in the chest. The wave picked him up and threw him against the lobby wall. Sephiroth held his hand up, pinning Cloud against the wall with his power. He began to close and squeeze his hand and Cloud's eyes bulged and his throat began to contort as if a hand was choking him. Cloud gasped for air as he turned a vibrant shade of blue.

Tifa watched in horror and rushed to Cloud's aid. She ran at Sephiroth, leaping into a powerful jump kick. Her attack caught him off guard and he lost his concentration on Cloud. Cloud fell to the ground, holding his throat and gasping for breath. He saw Tifa fighting Sephiroth and quickly jumped to his feet to help her.

Tifa was in trouble. In her haste to help Cloud, she forgot who she was attacking. Her jump kick hadn't hurt Sephiroth at all; it merely surprised him into dropping Cloud. Sephiroth lashed out in retaliation. Too close to properly use his long sword, Sephiroth grabbed Tifa with lightning speed and threw her across the room. She crashed hard into a far wall, so hard that it left a large spider web indention, and slumped to the floor. She lay on the floor, unable to get back up.

Cloud was up and running at Sephiroth when two Death Eaters ran out of the vault door. One Death Eater was carrying a small leather pouch, obviously stolen out of the vaults, with a triumphant look on its face. Cloud recognized the other one from The Northern Crater back home. The rat-faced, balding one called Wormtail. He had a new silver arm to replace the one Cloud cut. He was holding a glowing medallion and nearly shit himself when he saw Cloud.

"What are you doing here?" he shrieked in a high-pitched voice. He immediately cowered behind Sephiroth and looked for an escape route. Cloud growled at him as he launched his attack. The Death Eater with the leather pouch saw Cloud coming and pulled his wand out. A red bolt flew from the tip of the wand and struck Cloud in the chest. It felt like a small truck had hit him. Cloud crashed to the ground, unable to move, and lost consciousness…

-VII-

Wormtail was delighted when the Stunning Spell hit Cloud in the chest. 'He deserves worse for taking off my hand,' he thought. He looked at the defenseless Cloud with rat-like curiosity. 'Maybe I should return the favor and take his hand as well.' He put the glowing medallion in his cloak pocket and withdrew his wand. He raised it over his head and prepared to recite the spell when a hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"The Dark Lord awaits his prize," said the other Death Eater. "Our task is done. Let's get out of here before Dumbledore gets here."

"Oh come on Bellatrix. It will only take a moment," whined Wormtail. He raised his wand again only to have Bellatrix slap him hard in the face.

"No," she hissed. "We leave now." She turned away and walked towards the center of the lobby. "Unless you want to explain to the Dark Lord that we were late because you had a soft spot for a blonde," she warned.

Wormtail stiffened at her implication and fear of the Dark Lord's wrath. His nose twitched nervously as he joined Bellatrix in the center of the lobby.

"Fine," he grumbled. He fished the glowing medallion out of his pocket and held it in front of Sephiroth, who had been standing quite still since Wormtail and Bellatrix returned from the vaults. "Get over here you," he ordered and Sephiroth obediently walked over.

Wormtail looked him up and down, disgusted at the large amounts of blood smeared all over Sephiroth's front. "Look at you, you're a mess," he chastised. He waved the medallion in front of Sephiroth's face and said, "Home. Fly home." He pronounced the words clearly and slowly, like he was addressing a small child instead of a very bloodstained man. He stared into Sephiroth's face, waiting for some kind of response, but Sephiroth just stood there unblinking. Wormtail just shook his head. "Stupid, bloody zombie," he muttered under his breath. He nodded to Bellatrix and the pair of Death Eaters disappeared with two loud pops.

Sephiroth stood in the lobby for a moment after Wormtail and Bellatrix left and looked down at his blood-covered form. He slowly tried to wipe some off with his hands, but only smeared it more. He slowly looked around the bank lobby, taking in his handiwork. He stared at the broken front doors and at the piles of cooling bodies littered about. He stared at Tifa, still unable to get to her feet after he threw her against the wall. And then he looked at Cloud and didn't look away. He just stared at Cloud. After a moment, Cloud began to stir and slowly opened his eyes to see Sephiroth staring down at him. Cloud slowly rose up, using his sword as a crutch to pull himself upright. He remained hunched over and was still breathing heavily. He looked into Sephiroth's eyes and saw a small flash of confusion.

'He doesn't know who I am,' Cloud realized as the two old enemies continued their staring contest. 'He recognizes me, but he doesn't know me anymore.' Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but Sephiroth quickly broke away. Strapping his sword to his side, he closed his eyes and concentrated for a second. Then he flew into the air like a rocket and smashed through Gringrott's roof, raining plaster, stone, and timber down onto the floor. Cloud quickly ran to spot, dodging debris, but Sephiroth was too fast. He was gone, leaving only a hole in the roof, dead bodies, and a frustrated and angry Cloud behind.


	12. Aftermath

Chapter 12

"Aftermath"

Tonks paced around the narrow walking space in the vault. Tumahab had led them into one of the larger vaults deep inside the mines. The crowd of survivors from Diagon Alley were stuffed in the vault, which magically expanded to just fit the crowd.

Tonks couldn't stand hiding and waiting like this. She wanted, no she deserved to be up there fighting with Kingsley and the rest of the Order. She could hear the battle raging high above her: loud crashes, breaking stone, explosions. Some were faint. They were the ones that were happening in the lobby. The louder ones, the ones that shook the very walls of the vault, they were the ones happening inside the mines. 'Some of the Death Eaters must have gotten past Kingsley," worried Tonks. 'They're in the mines.'

While Tonks worried and sulked in the corner, Ginny and Hermione were going around the vault, making sure everyone was all right. One or two people had minor injuries (and one or two were in need of a clean pair of pants), but nothing too serious. Ron was entertaining some of the younger children with some muggle magic tricks from the Twin's shop. Fred, on the other hand, couldn't keep still. He was constantly moving all over the place, pacing back and forth, shaking and flexing his right hand every few seconds. He was concentrating so much on his hand that he walked right into Ron and ruined his card trick.

"Hey! Take it easy," said Ron as several cards fell out of his shirtsleeve. Then he noticed his brother's shaking hand. "What's with your hand?"

Fred shrugged. "Don't know. It hurt like hell a minute ago, now it keeps going numb on me."

"Weird."

"Yeah, I know," agreed Fred. "Musta been nicked by a Death Eater's spell or something."

Just then, Ginny and Hermione approached the boys with worried looks on their faces. "Hey, have either of you seen George lately?" asked Ginny. "I need help with some kids and could use his Umbridge impression."

"I haven't seen him since we were all in the tunnel," answered Fred. "I figured he was off in a corner somewhere sulking like Tonks."

"Well that's the thing," said Ginny nervously. "He's not. We looked all over the vault while we were checking on people. We didn't see him anywhere."

"You don't think…"

"No," Ginny shook her head. "No way is he that stupid." Her brothers rolled their eyes at her. She nodded and all four teens turned and shouted together: "Tonks!"

She came running. "What? What? Something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"George is missing!" shouted Hermione.

"I thought he was in the vault like everyone else," said Tonks confused. "I saw him walking in the tunnels on the way down here."

"He must have slipped off," obviously observed Hermione.

"Well, where could he have gone?" wondered Ron.

A loud BOOM echoed overhead answered them.

Fred wasted no time. He pushed past his sister and Tonks and made a break for the vault door. He knocked poor Tumahab over in his rush out the door.

Tonks was right behind Fred, shouting for him to stop and wait. I ignored her and kept running. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked at each other then ran after them.

"Wait!" a middle-aged man cried out as he grabbed on to the tails of Ginny's shirt. "What about us?"

Ginny pulled away roughly. "Lock the door," she said simply as she ran after her brother.

"And hope they don't have wands," commented Ron as he followed.

-VII-

The group reached the lobby quickly, taking the stone steps in the tunnels 2 or 3 at a time. Fred reached the lobby first and stopped fast in the open doorway. He stopped so suddenly, Tonks nearly ran into him and Ginny into her. The whole group swayed in the doorway and bile rose in their throats.

The lobby was a ravaged war zone; broken and bloodstained and littered with bodies of friends and comrades. A witch lay by the door in a pool of her own blood, her throat slit. Others were gutted and there were even bodies missing arms, leg, or sometimes heads.

Tonks wailed when she saw Kingsley's body and she ran to his side. She fell to her knees and held his bloody head in her lap and cried. Anger washed over her and a deep sadness consumed her. She felt terrible for leaving him and the other members of the Order alone in the lobby. She hated Kingsley for making her go down into the vaults with the helpless and the children, but now she hated herself the most for not staying in the lobby anyway.

"I could have helped," she whispered in-between sobs. "I could have helped…"

Hermione couldn't look at the massacre and turned away. She clung to Ron, sobbing into his shoulder while he blinked back his own tears. They had seen a lot in their young lives, but nothing was even close to this.

Ginny ran past the bodies, refusing to look at them. She felt only rage as she ran towards the broken doors. When she reached them, she stood and stared out into the streets, looking for some Death Eater to vent her rage on. But the streets were empty; there was no sign of the Death Eaters or even the Giants that had stormed the streets earlier. So her rage turned inward and she bottled it up inside her heart.

Fred was going crazy. Even though his hand was still numb, he dove into the piles of bodies. Shouting his brother's name again and again, Fred unceremoniously pushed and pulled bodies out of the way as he tried to find some trace of his brother. But despite his search, he found no trace of his twin.

"George, you bloody bastard, where are you?"

-VII-

A concussion of pops echoed throughout the lobby and silenced everyone's tears and actions. Dumbledore, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Professor Snape, Bill and Charlie Weasley, and Remus Lupin arrived with their wands drawn. But upon seeing the state of the young ones and the desolation of the bank, quickly lowered their faces and their wands. Moody's eyes swiveled fiercely in its socket, looking for any remaining Death Eaters. Mrs. Weasley wailed at the bloody bodies and immediately ran to her children, including Hermione, and pulled them into a crushing embrace.

"Thank Heaven your all alright. When I heard about the attack, I was so worried!" she cried and held the teens even tighter. Normally, the teens would have struggled and protested the bear hug, but after the afternoon's events they welcomed Mrs. Weasley's mother hen nurturing.

Dumbledore stood motionless in the lobby, guilt and sorrow etched across his features. It's hard being the leader when men and women die following your commands and it was something that he had never gotten used to. With a heavy sigh, he raised his wand and swung it over his head. Green sparkles flowed from the wand tip and swept over the lobby. Blood disappeared from the walls and floor, rubble floated up off the ground and repaired itself, and white sheets materialized from thin air and covered the bodies.

Dumbledore put his wand away and slowly approached Tonks. He gently pulled her to her feet and held his hands on her shoulders.

"What happened, Nymphadora?" he asked kindly. Tonks was still so upset she didn't even complain about the use of her first name.

"Giants chased us into the bank. I left. I left the girls in charge and I alerted the Order. I came back with Kingsley and all the members that were at headquarters," she sobbed when she mentioned Kingsley and the others. "When we arrived the Giants were pounding on the doors, but they were holding. Kingsley went to inspect them closer while I talked to the girls. When he came back, he was all worried and ordered me to take everyone into the vaults. I argued with him, I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay with the Order and fight. Kingsley," her voice cracked, "he yelled at me. Made me take everyone away…" Tonks started to cry again.

Dumbledore gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze. "He was trying to protect you," he whispered. Tonks nodded.

"We could hear the fighting from downstairs. When we ran back up here, we left everyone in the vaults," confessed Tonks.

Dumbledore looked up at Bill and Charlie and nodded towards the vault door. The two oldest Weasleys ran into the vaults, wands at the ready. Dumbledore was about to address Tonks as to the reason she and the teens left the vaults when Moody's crackled voice called out from across the room.

"WE'VE GOT ONE HERE!" Everyone spun around and saw Moody pointing his glowing wand inches from the face of a spiky-haired young man. The young man was sitting against the bank wall, his sword lying on the ground beside him. He was clearly dazed and weakened; his breathing was shallow and uneven. It looked like he had been heavily sedated or hit with a Stunning Spell. "Wake up you Death Eater scum!" growled Moody and he kicked the young man in the side.

"ALASTOR!" roared Dumbledore. His voice boomed like thunder and Moody stepped back frightened. Dumbledore's thin frame seemed to grow tall and menacing; his shadow filling the entire lobby. Moody clumsily stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet.

"He's not a Death Eater!" shouted Ginny as she struggled to escape her mother's grasp. "His name's Cloud and he helped us!"

Dumbledore returned to normal and crouched down besides Cloud. He waved his hand over Cloud's head, muttering a quiet incantation. Cloud's eyes fluttered open and he slowly sat up. The lasting effects of the Stunning Spell left Cloud disoriented and a little groggy, but were fading quickly. Dumbledore stood up and waited for Cloud to sort himself back out.

Cloud's SOLDIER instincts were the first to return and he immediately grabbed his fallen sword, which startled the already paranoid Moody into aiming his wand back at Cloud. Cloud used the sword as a prop until he was firmly back on his feet.

"When did you get here Dumbledore?" asked Cloud. Dumbledore didn't answer, he just locked eyes with Cloud and asked: "What happened here Cloud? Did you see it?" Cloud nodded and hung his head.

"It was Sephiroth," Cloud whispered. "Tifa and I ran from the other side of… Wait. Where's Tifa? She was with me." Cloud frantically looked left and right for her and saw her lying underneath a massive spider web indention in the wall Sephiroth threw her into. Cloud tried to run to her, but was stopped by Dumbledore's surprisingly strong grip on his uniform sleeve.

"She'll be alright," he assured Cloud in a grandfatherly voice. Dumbledore turned his head towards the scruffy looking wizard in the corner. "Remus. See to her, please." Lupin nodded and ran over to her. He quickly looked over her injuries before reporting back. "She's alright. She's just banged up a bit."

Cloud let out a small sigh of relief. Dumbledore smiled under his half-moon glasses at Cloud's concern and said, "Now then. Tell me what happened."

Cloud retold the story of that afternoon: the explosion at Florean's, rescuing the baby, and how everybody got separated. Cloud noticed Dumbledore's face paled when he mentioned that nobody knew what happened to Harry. Cloud continued, telling him about fighting the Death Eaters and Giants, and following the cloud that looked like a skull with a snake in it's mouth back to Gringrotts.

"It's called the Dark Mark," Dumbledore explained. "It's Voldemort's symbol of power."

"Figures," replied Cloud. "We followed the Dark Mark thingy back here. By the time we got here, it was already too late. We found Sephiroth alone. He was covered in blood. We attacked him, but he was too strong. He hit me with his mental powers and nearly choked the life out of me. Tifa attacked him and distracted him enough to release me. He threw her into the wall for that.

"Mental Powers?" interrupted Dumbledore, puzzled. Cloud nodded.

"Sephiroth isn't just physically strong. He can do things with his mind. Move things, fly. Even read your thoughts and control your actions. Comes from the JENOVA cells. Anyway, I got back up and was about to attack when I got hit by my ol' pal Wormtail."

"Wormtail was here?" repeated Dumbledore in astonishment. "Wormtail is a part of Voldemort's Inner Circle. If he was here it was for something important."

Cloud nodded in agreement. "There with some other bimbo in a black cloak. Think her name was Bella-something. She came out of the tunnels with him carrying a little leather pouch."

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "They were in the vaults?" he muttered.

Cloud nodded. "So what?"

"Some of our most precious treasures and most dangerous artifacts are hidden in those vaults," explained Dumbledore. "Alastor, check the vaults. See what was taken."

Moody didn't move at first, he was still glaring daggers at Cloud. Despite Dumbledore's obvious friendliness towards the young man, Moody was still convinced he was a Death Eater. Wand in hand, he stepped right in front of Cloud, standing nose to nose with the young warrior. Cloud tried to step away, but Moody just moved with him. Cloud tried again. Moody moved as well and shoved Cloud in the chest, trying to provoke the young man.

"Alastor," warned Dumbledore. Moody ignored him and shoved Cloud again. Now Cloud raised his head and stared into Moody's Eyes.

"Gods, you're ugly," he grimaced at Moody. "Did you poke yourself in the eye with your wand or something?" he asked, gesturing towards Moody's magical eye. The eye spun violently in its socket and Moody's scarred mouth widened into a snarl. Cloud raised his left hand and lightly (well lightly for Cloud) pushed Moody. The ex-Auror stumbled backwards several feet before catching his balance. Before anyone could react, a bolt of red magic leapt from Moody's wand and burned into Cloud's check. The Stinging Hex left a bright red, bleeding welt on Cloud's face.

Cloud's eyes narrowed in anger and he instantly covered the ground between himself and Moody. He grabbed the front of Moody's robes and lifted the larger, heavier man up off the ground easily with one hand. Cloud's free hand tightened around the handle of his sword and for a moment, Dumbledore thought Cloud's eyes flashed from a glowing blue to green, and that Cloud would cut Moody in half.

"Put him down, Cloud!" ordered Dumbledore. The sound of the old man's voice seemed to resonate in Cloud's mind and he shook his head back and forth before dropping Moody. Old Mad-Eye landed flat on his rear and his face flushed brightly. Moody was back up on his feet quickly and was about to hex Cloud again. Fortunately, Dumbledore intervened before things got even more out of hand. He stepped in-between Moody and Cloud and glared at Moody. This wasn't the first time Moody's obscene paranoia and rash aggression had gotten him in trouble. Dumbledore had spoken to Moody about this several times, but Moody was too set in his ways: he had seen too much and had too much done to him to ever change. And since he was an invaluable member of the Order, Dumbledore didn't want to be too hard on him.

"That's enough Alastor," chastised Dumbledore. "Cloud is not a Death Eater. Now, I need you to find what Wormtail and Lestrange took from the vaults." Moody lingered for a moment before finally turning around and disappearing into the vaults.

"What crawled up his ass?" asked Cloud.

"Mad-Eye was once the greatest Dark Wizard catcher in the world," explained Dumbledore. "But I'm afraid the experience has left him more than a little paranoid. I did not have to tell the rest of the Order about you and Tifa. I'm sorry for that."

"Forget about it," shrugged Cloud.

-VII-

While Cloud and Dumbledore talked off to the side, Fred managed to wrestle his way out of his mother's grip and had resumed his searching. He scrambled back and forth through the lobby, ignoring his mother's calls, checking under all the white sheets Dumbledore had conjured. Time and time again, he peeked under the sheets and saw only unfamiliar faces. Fred was beginning to lose hope.

A sheet began to flutter to the right of him. Fred just saw it out the corner of his eye. At first he thought it was just a bit of wind coming in through the broken front door. But when it fluttered again, Fred dived for it and threw it back.

"It's George!" he shouted. Mrs. Weasley let out a fresh wail and let go of her other children and ran toward Fred, her husband and daughter close behind.

"Oh, he's dead! He's dead!" she cried when she saw him. She fell to her knees and collapsed upon the boy's stomach.

George looked like he was. His skin was ghostly pale from the shock and loss of blood. He wasn't moving anymore, just lying there, still clutching his bloody stump of an arm.

Dumbledore approached and leaned over her shoulder. His practiced eye looked over the boy's body. "No, he is not dead. Give him some air, Molly." Mrs. Weasley sniffed and backed away and let Dumbledore inspect George more closely.

Dumbledore looked at George's arm and frowned. "This wound is beyond my own ability. He needs to get to St. Mungo's immediately."

Mr. Weasley bent down and gingerly picked up his wounded son. With a pop, he disappeared with the boy. Fred followed at once. Mrs. Weasley lingered for just a moment.

"Dumbledore, will you please take Ginny home?" she asked wearily.

"Of course, Molly," he assured her and she disappeared.

"What happened here?" called a voice from the doorway.

-VII-

Everyone spun and let out a collective sigh of relief. Especially Dumbledore.

"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione as she raced towards her friend. Dumbledore gazed at the boy standing in the broken doorway and frowned with concern. Harry looked like hell: his glasses were askew and one of the lenses was cracked. His clothing was ragged and tore in several places. Blood dripped from a dozen bruises and cuts on his face and arms. Dumbledore saw he was gently holding his ribs. He was hurt, but he was alive. And for that, Dumbledore was most relieved.

Hermione reached her best friend and threw her arms around him in a bear hug Mrs. Weasley would have been proud of.

"Oh, Harry! You're all right!" she said happily. Harry grimaced as she collided with his ribs, but he smiled and returned the hug.

"Glad to see you too Hermione," he said.

Hermione broke the hug and stepped back to take a good look at Harry. She took off his glasses and folded them up inside her pant's pocket. Then, without warning, she drew her hand back and slapped Harry hard across the cheek. Harry's eyes widened at the sudden shock of pain shooting across his already battered face and he gingerly touched the red hand print spreading across his cheek.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" he shouted angrily.

"That was for going off on your own and playing hero again!" shouted Hermione back. "I thought you would have learned your lesson after what happened last time." Harry's eyes darkened at her reference to the disaster at the Dept. of Mysteries. Hermione didn't care. She kept on going. "You can't just run off without us anymore." Harry rolled his eyes at her. She hit him in the chest with a balled up fist for that.

"If you ever do that again without Ron or me again, I swear no Death Eater can do the things that I'll do to you." She threatened with a glare that would make Voldemort flinch. Harry sighed, knowing it was pointless to try and argue with her.

"Ok Hermione," he conceded. She smiled and returned his glasses after fixing them with a tap of her wand.

Harry walked toward the rest of the group, nodding a greeting to Cloud and Tifa, who had finally rejoined the group. She looked as beat up and tired as Harry felt. Her body was bruised and beaten, her breaths were ragged and heavy, and there was a thin line of blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. Harry watched as Cloud handed her a glass vial filled with a blue liquid. Tifa chugged the vial and her appearance instantly changed. Her breathing came easier and her bruises faded. Cloud saw Harry watching and reached into his pocket. He tossed another vial at Harry, who clumsily boggled the vial before catching it.

"Drink that," Cloud said to him. "It'll help."

Harry pulled off the vial's cork top and slurped down the blue liquid. It was cool and crisp and tasted sweet. Harry felt his strength and spirits return as he finished the vial.

He wiped his mouth and tossed the vial back to Cloud. "Good stuff," he smiled.

"Handy too," replied Cloud.

Now that everyone was accounted for and at least partially healed, Dumbledore and the others listened to Harry's story: from the getting separated after the explosion at Florean's until he left Cho with her friend in the alley. Dumbledore was quite pleased at the way Harry helped Madam Malkin, while Hermione was annoyed by his recklessness. Ginny was mad that she, once again, missed all the good fighting. She also turned her gaze and shifted her feet when Harry mentioned Cho. Cloud and Tifa were both impressed by Harry's fighting spirit and resourcefulness. 'Kid would make a good fighter if he had some real instruction,' thought Cloud.

-VII-

As Harry finished telling his story, there came a growing murmur from the vault entrance. Everyone turned to see Bill and Charlie Weasley leading the survivors out of the vaults. Many of them were still very frightened and skittish; more than a few turned pale at the sight of the sheet-covered bodies.

They milled around in the lobby for a moment, too scared to leave, until Dumbledore assured them that it was safe to return to their homes. They took his word and slowly departed.

Ginny quickly told her oldest brothers about George and, with Dumbledore's permission, left to join their family at the Wizard Hospital.

Shortly after they left, Moody rushed out of the vaults as well. His face was red from exertion and he was out of breath from running up the vault stairs.

"Found it," he told Dumbledore gruffly, after he finally caught his breath. His magical eye remained fixed on Cloud the entire time. "They hit three vaults. Numbers 171654, 24789, and 874586."

"How did they get in?" asked Harry. "I thought you had to use the key or the door would attack you or something."

"Dark magic," replied Moody. "Strong stuff. Blew two of the doors clear off their hinges and melted straight through the third. Not even dragon's breath could do that."

"What did you say those numbers were, Alastor?" asked Dumbledore, his face wrinkled in concentration.

"171654, 24789, and 874586."

Dumbledore stroked his beard, as he often did while in deep thought. He turned away from the group; his forehead remained furrowed in worry.

"Do you know what was in them Professor?" asked Hermione. Dumbledore turned and smiled his grandfatherly smile at her.

"I haven't a clue, my dear," he said softly. "I shall have to talk to the goblins after all this is settled. But now I believe it is time for you all to be going home. It has been quite the long day for you all after all."

Harry and Hermione nodded, the weight of the day's events taking their toll on the both of them. Harry especially.

"Tonks, will you please take Hermione back to Headquarters. I'm sure her parents will be relieved to know she's safe." Tonks nodded. Hermione said good-bye to Harry, making him promise to write soon. She shook hands with Cloud and Tifa and promised to talk to them soon, too keep them updated on things. Then she and Tonks left with a pop.

Dumbledore turned to Harry. Harry cast his eyes downward; he knew what would come next and he wasn't looking forward to returning to his relatives.

"Remus," called Dumbledore, "Take Harry back to his relatives." Remus nodded, trying not to look at Harry's downtrodden face. Harry looked miserable.

"Once Harry gathers his things, please bring him to Headquarters," finished Dumbledore with a small smile. Harry beamed at the news, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. He quickly said goodbye to Cloud and Tifa and nearly tackled Lupin in his hurry to leave. For the first time in ages, Harry felt alive again. No more self-loathing or thoughts of vengeance. Except for the possibility of turning Dudley into a pig. Or maybe a troll.

-VII-

"You two should return to your rooms at The Leaky Cauldron," Dumbledore told Cloud and Tifa. "I do believe it is still standing." Cloud and Tifa looked at each other and shrugged. This sort of thing was an everyday occurrence to them. While they had been chasing Sephiroth, not a day had gone by without fighting Shin-Ra soldiers or wild monsters. But it had been a long day and, despite the Hi-Potions they drank, Cloud and Tifa were still sore from their encounter with Sephiroth. They agreed with Dumbledore and gathered their things. They left the old wizard in the bank with the members of the Order.

As they left the bank, Cloud and Tifa stopped dead in their tracks. When they entered the bank, the street had been decimated. Fires still burned, bodies and blood littered the street, and many of the buildings were ruins. Now the street looked nothing like it had when they entered. All the fires were out and bodies no longer cluttered the streets and sidewalks. People were slowly coming out of still-standing buildings and assessing the damage and searching for lost loved ones. Cloud and Tifa walked down the street, stopping and helping whenever they could.

-VII-

Weeks pass by…

Cloud and Tifa remained in Diagon Alley, staying at the only partially demolished Leaky Cauldron. Everyday they left the inn and went into the alley to help with the reconstruction. There had been amazing progress in the rebuilding.

In just a few short weeks, the alley looked almost like the attack had never happened. Nearly all the ruined buildings had been magically rebuilt and many of the shops had reopened for business, although there were very little shoppers coming into Diagon Alley.

Cloud and Tifa did their part in the rebuilding. They did whatever they could: fixing things, building things, Tifa even spent some time watching over neighborhood children. She tried to tend bar at The Leaky Caldron one night, but quit after one of the kegs tried to eat her.

The people took them in quickly as one of their own. Word quickly spread about Cloud and Tifa's seemingly epic battle against the Giants and Death Eaters and it seemed everyone wanted to shake their hands or buy them a drink. Cloud was even asked on a few dates, which he politely refused. He never liked the spotlight and all this attention wasn't his style. After the first few days, he began to go off on his own every afternoon and wouldn't return until late at night. Tifa worried about him at first, but assumed it was just his way of dealing with (and avoiding) the popularity.

But, the popularity had its benefits. Everybody was very eager and willing to teach Cloud and Tifa how to use their new wands, although they had a small problem explaining their lack of skill to the townspeople. Nobody could believe they were never taught wand use and magic at their old school. After a few days of trying to explain it, Cloud thought it might be easier just to say that they weren't exactly from "around here". Ollivander asked the most questions, but was also the most helpful. He tutored Cloud and Tifa every afternoon when there was a break in the work. At night, the other residents of The Leaky Cauldron helped them practice and showed them other, more disreputable spells than what Ollivander was teaching them. After a few near-disastrous false starts (including Tifa accidentally setting fire to Madam Malkin's cat), Cloud and Tifa learned to use their wands quickly. While not as skilled or advanced as Harry and his friends, they were quickly approaching the level of a Third-Year student.

-VII-

One day in late August, Tifa woke up to the sound of two owls tapping on her rooms' window. She opened the window and the two owls fluttered circles above her bed before dropping two letters into her lap.

Tifa watched the owls fly away before reading the names on the letters. One was from Dumbledore and the other was from Hermione. Tifa quickly dressed and ran to Cloud's room. She pounded on his door before opening it. As usual, Cloud was still fast asleep, his head buried beneath layers of blankets and sheets.

"Cloud! Wake up!" she shouted at the lump. Cloud barely stirred. Tifa put her hands on her hips and impatiently shouted again. "Wake up!"

Cloud peeled back the sheets and sleepily searched the room for Tifa. When he saw her, Cloud grumbled something under his breath and rolled over. Tifa stomped over to the bed and roughly sat down on the side. She shifted and squirmed until she had pushed Cloud to the very edge of the mattress.

"We got letters from Hermione and Dumbledore," said Tifa smiling. Cloud groaned.

Tifa, you are too damn cheerful in the morning, you know that?" he mumbled.

Tifa ignored him, too engrossed in reading the letters to pay any attention. She finished one and shoved it in Cloud's face. It was the one from Hermione.

_Dear Cloud and Tifa,_

_How are you? We're all doing great here at Headquarters. Harry especially. He was so glad to get away from his horrible relatives. Professor Lupin said he never saw someone pack so quickly, although Harry did take a moment to jinx his Uncle into a purple polka-dotted hippo before leaving._

_George came home from the hospital last week. The healers tried their best, but they weren't able to reattach his original arm. They had to fit him with a magical arm, sort of like the one Wormtail has. George has never been happier. He spends all day tinkering with it and trying new pranks and gadgets on it. He lies in bed, letting the rest of us wait on him day and night. He even has a little bell for calling us with. The doctor's say he'll be up and about in a few more weeks. Thank goodness. I don't think Ron can play butler much longer._

_School finally starts tomorrow! I can't wait. I was afraid they would cancel the school year after the attack. We're all heading into King's Cross tomorrow and Platform 9 ¾. Dumbledore said we'd swing by and pick you two up on the way. He said we're getting Ministry cars again so there will be plenty of room for all of us. Make sure you have everything. We never got into the familiar store so be sure to pick u pan animal for school._

_See you tomorrow,_

_Hermione_

_P.S. The spell for shrinking things is "--". It's handy for packing._

Cloud tossed the letter back to Tifa.

"Do they expect me to go to classes and stuff at this school?" asked Cloud as Tifa opened the second letter.

"Of course. Why wouldn't you?" she asked. She read Dumbledore's letter, chuckling at the old man's whimsical sense of humor. Cloud plopped back down on his bed.

'This is going to suck,' he thought as Tifa tossed the other letter onto his chest. Cloud sat up and read it.

_Dear Cloud and Tifa, _

_It is time to begin another year at Hogwarts and I wished to address a few certain things with you before you arrive at Platform 9 ¾ tomorrow. _

_First, and most importantly, NO FIGHTING! Above all else, Hogwarts is a school for gifted young witches and wizards. Fighting of any kind, physical or magical, will not be tolerated by myself or any of the other teachers and will be punished accordingly. I would also appreciate it if you didn't wear that massive sword of yours around Hogwarts as well. _

_When you arrive at the castle, you will be sorted into one of four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. The Sorting Ceremony determines where you will stay during your time here at Hogwarts. Usually only first years need to be sorted, but you are, of course, a special case. The Ceremony is conducted by the Sorting Hat and is final._

_I leave it up to you to decide who to tell or not to tell about your past and the how and why you came here. After the attack on Diagon Alley, I informed the senior members of the Order about you, but did not tell Harry and his friends. This I leave for the two of you to decide. However, I must warn you. Harry and his friends are quite the clever detectives and may find out on their own._

_Lastly, have fun. There are many wonderful things to experience and discover at Hogwarts. I hope that you both try to forget about the war and just enjoy yourselves._

_Yours truly,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Cloud finished reading the letter and rolled back under his covers without comment. Tifa rolled her eyes at him.

"Come on, get up! We have to pack and get the rest of our stuff for school!" she whined.

Cloud answered her with a loud snore.

"Fine," Tifa grumbled as she stood up. "Go ahead. Sleep all day. See if I care. I'm going shopping."

She made sure to slam the door on her way out.

-VII-

Tifa finished her shopping later that afternoon and headed back to Cloud's room, half expecting to see him still in bed. She found him sitting on the edge of his bed, cleaning and polishing his old Buster Sword. Next to him was a pile of jewel-like stones, each a different shape and color. When inserted into a small slot in the Buster Sword's handle, they changed the physical composition of the blade. One small purple tinted crystal, made from a scale of the Ultimate WEAPON, could change the normal Buster Sword into the incredibly powerful Ultima Weapon.

Tifa smiled as he worked. Ever since seeing Sephiroth at the bank and seeing the destruction he caused, Cloud had been trying to find a way to combine all the different forms and variations of his sword into one weapon. But he has yet to have any success.

Tifa gently knocked on the door and Cloud's head perked up. She entered the room, her arms full of parcels, one that seemed to be moving.

"When did you finally get out of bed?" she asked him as she piled the parcels onto a small table.

"About noon," he answered, going back to work. He grinded a stone against the long cleaver edge of the Buster Sword, sharpening and honing it. "What's in that?" he asked, gesturing at the jostling parcel.

"My familiar," said Tifa cheerfully. "I got one like Hermione said in her letter. The lady at the store said we are allowed an owl, a rat, a cat, or a toad at school."

"Don't tell me. You bought yourself a toad," joked Cloud.

"No," replied Tifa as she opened the parcel. "But if you keep it up, I'll have Hermione teach me how to turn you into one." Cloud chuckled and turned back to his work.

"Well, what do you think?"

Cloud looked up and came face-to-face with a tawny colored kitten. Tifa held him forward with outstretched arms and the kitten stared into Cloud's blue eyes. It cocked its head as it stared at Cloud before reaching out and scratching Cloud's nose.

"Adorable," muttered Cloud. He reached up and wiped a bit of blood off his nose. He put his sword crystals away and sheathed the massive blade onto his back. He moved for the door.

"Where do you keep going?" asked Tifa just before he opened the door.

"Nowhere," came the monotone answer. He looked at her from over his shoulder and left.

Tifa shuddered at the hurt, forlorn look in her friend's eyes and wondered what was really wrong...

* * *

Author's Notes:

I have a question for all you out there. Sooner or later, I plan on unleashing Sephiroth at his full, One-Winged Angel awesomeness and there is something that has been bugging me lately about that. In the original game, Sephiroth's wings were pure white feathers. It was very angelic and ironic since he was so evil. In recent appearances in both Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, Sephiroth's wing/wings have been black feathers. What version is do you all think is right/better/preferred? I am kind of partial to the original white feathers, but I want to hear what my readers think. Please let me know.

Thanks,

Nataku's Wrath


	13. Sorting Things Out

"Harry Potter and the Sons of JENOVA"

Chapter 13

"Sorting Things Out"

* * *

The next morning, Cloud and Tifa waited outside The Leaky Cauldron for their new friends to arrive. Tifa was sitting on her trunk petting her kitten, who she dubbed Mako. Cloud, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth like a beast in a cage, his Buster Sword strapped to his back. 

"Will you calm down already?" asked Tifa. "They'll be here any minute."

"I hate waiting," muttered Cloud. "Almost as much as I hate piling into the back of a car."

Tifa rolled her eyes at her friend's ridiculous motion sickness. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Why can's these wizards use Chocobos or even airships," complained Cloud.

"This isn't Kalm or Juron, Cloud," reminded Tifa. "They don't have Chocobos here."

Annoyed, Cloud kicked a large pebble into the street. The pebble bounced into the air and hit a dark green car as it pulled up to The Leaky Cauldron, dinging the fender. The driver's door opened and Mad-Eye Moody stepped out, his magic eye hidden by an ugly, plaid green bowler hat pulled low over his face.

"Watch the paint job, Blondie," he said at Cloud as he stepped out of the car.

"Who threw up on your head?" asked Cloud, pointing to Moody's hat. Moody growled and started to reach for his wand when the other car doors opened and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Tonks, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley piled out of the car, all dressed in Muggle clothes. Tifa thought she saw Cloud turn green at the sight of so many people climbing out of a single car and how tight the seating in the backseat must be.

"Hey, everybody," greeted Tifa as she stood up, spilling Mako off her lap.

"G'morning," greeted Mrs. Weasley. "Are you ready to go? We're running a bit late, I'm afraid." Cloud and Tifa nodded and easily lifted their heavy trunks.

Mr. Weasley opened the trunk of the car (which was surprisingly very large for such a normal sized car) and the two trunks were wedged in-between a large birdcage with a beautiful Snowy Owl in it and a smaller cage with a small, very hyper owl in it. The small owl started hooting relentlessly as soon as the trunk was opened.

"Oh settle down, Pig!" shouted Mr. Weasley. Pig gave a high-pitched hoot in argument before Mr. Weasley slammed the trunk closed. Even then, they could hear the tiny owl hooting through the trunk.

"What about your sword?" asked Hermione when Cloud didn't put his sword in the trunk. "You're not going to wear that on the train, are you?"

"I did back home," he said and Tifa could have sworn she saw him smile at the thought. "But Dumbledore asked me not to wear it at school. I tried shrinking it like you mentioned in your letter, but the owl who delivered it ripped the parchment where you wrote the spell." He grinned sheepishly at her and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "I only managed to shrink the handle a couple of times."

Hermione smiled and pulled her wand out of her pocket. Cloud unsheathed his sword and laid it on the ground. Hermione aimed her wand at the blade. "Reducio!" The massive sword shrank quickly until it was only the size of a butter knife. Cloud picked it up with two fingers and looked sadly at it. A sudden pain gut-checked Cloud in the stomach. That sword had been his whole life back home. It represented everything that had happened and reminded him of everything he still had to do. It represented all the people Cloud had lost: his hometown, Zack, Aeris… Those two had such a profound influence on Cloud's life and they were connected through Zack's old sword. And seeing it so small and harmless like this hurt.

"How do I return it to its real size?" he asked Hermione, a hint of worry and fear in his voice.

"Engorgio," replied Hermione. Cloud pulled out his own wand from his wrist armor and aimed it at the butter-knife-sized Buster Sword.

"Engorgio," he commanded and he breathed a sigh of relief when the sword expanded back to its original size. Cloud hefted the blade up and gave it a few practice swings (nearly knocking Mad-Eye over in the process) and twirled it over his head a few times before sheathing it.

"Watch where you swing that thing you Blonde Buffoon!" yelled Mad-Eye. Cloud smirked at him and removed the various straps to the sheath. He laid the sheathed sword on the ground and repeated the shrinking process. This time, the sheath shrunk with the sword and Cloud carefully put the whole package carefully in his pocket.

"Alright, show's over," called Mr. Weasley from the car. We got to get going if where going to make your train."

Everyone began to pile into the car, Cloud lingering outside until everyone else was already inside the car. Cursing under his breath, Cloud stuck his head into the car, expecting to see the backseat stuffed to the ceiling with people.

Instead of wall-to-wall wizards, Cloud saw plenty of room in the backseat, at least enough for three or four more people. Cloud stepped into the car and the interior began to magically expand to make room for him. Cloud smiled as he sat down with plenty of personal space and a window to look out across from Tifa, who wore a grin large enough to split her face in two.

-VII-

The car ride was fairly uneventful, except for the girls fawning over Mako. The kitten loved the attention, jumping from lap to lap to be petted. She wisely skipped over Cloud's lap; he hadn't forgiven her scratching his nose quite yet.

"Where's your familiar?" asked Ginny. She was scratching behind Mako's ears and the kitten was purring loudly.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "Not much of a house cat kinda guy," he answered.

"Well, what about a rat or a toad? Or an owl?" asked Hermione as Mako leapt onto Tifa's lap. Cloud just flashed her a 'you-got-to-be-kidding-me' look and turned towards the window, watching London fly by.

"Aw, come on Cloud. I think you and Mako would make an adorable couple," teased Tifa and she tossed the kitten at Cloud. Cloud caught the kitten under her arms on pure reflex. Cloud looked at the kitten and the kitten stared right back at him, before scratching him across the nose, right on top of the first mark. Cloud barely flinched and roughly tossed the kitten back to Tifa. The kitten arced in midair to land on its feet and hissed angrily at Cloud. Everyone laughed at the pair and Cloud mumbled something under his breath before returning to his window.

-VII-

The group arrived at King's Cross with very little time to spare.

"Why did we have to go through that roundabout six times, Mad-Eye?" asked an angry Tonks.

"We were bein' followed," answered Mad-Eye. "I saw the same car behind us every time we went around."

"Of course we were being followed!" yelled Cloud, who was looking a little green from turning circles in the roundabout. "It was a roundabout. You passed the same car every time you went around the circle, you ugly twit!"

Moody flushed with anger and looked like he was going to curse Cloud again, but Mr. Weasley quickly intervened.

"My, my, look at the time. Can't let these kids miss their train," he said as they all piled out of the car. "We all remember what happened last time." He looked right at Ron and Harry as he said this and the two boys both turned red around the ears and stared at the floor. They quickly ran to the back and tried to lift the massive trunks out of the trunk by themselves. When they struggled, Cloud and Tifa went to help them. Tifa reached past the boys and lifted her trunk out with one hand.

"What happened?" she whispered to the astonished boys.

"Our second year, Harry and I missed the train, thanks to a nutty house elf. We kinda "borrowed" my dad's car and flew the car to school. We crashed into the Whomping Willow and the car went wild into the Forest."

"Nice," said Tifa.

Cloud smiled as he picked up two more heavy trunks.

"You two would have loved the Chocobos we raced back home," he said as he carried the trunks effortlessly over his head. "They go a lot faster than any flying car."

The group walked into King's Cross and quickly made their way to Platform nine and three-quarters. Cloud maintained a natural vigilance as he carefully noted every person and every dark corner of the platform. An old habit of constantly looking out for Shin-Ra patrols, Cloud saw mostly children and families carrying trunks and owl cages like they were. He also saw grown men and women wearing the most peculiar and outrageous outfits. They too were carefully noting everyone and everything on the platform and Cloud realized they were Ministry Security, like Moody. And like Moody, they stood out like a sore thumb.

They reached platform nine and ten. Everyone waited patiently as another wizard family passed through the barrier. They had a young boy with them, staring astonished at the magical wall, his mouth dry in apprehension. His mother stood behind him, his father already on the other side waiting for him. The boy gulped nervously as his mother waved at him to hurry up.

Harry watched the young boy with a small smile on his face. The scene reminded him of the first time he passed through the barrier. He hadn't had a clue either.

"Psst!" he whispered at the boy to get his attention. The boy turned and looked at Harry nervously. Harry smiled at him. "It's easier if you do it at a bit of a run," he said with a wink. The boy smiled back and took off towards the barrier, passing through it without a problem. Harry stepped back and noticed Ginny smiling at him. He smiled back, clueless as to why.

Mad-Eye and Tonks went through the barrier first. "Have to make sure it's safe," said Mad-Eye, trying to sound important and not just paranoid. Nobody bought it.

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione followed Mr. Weasley through next. Mrs. Weasley actually made Harry hold her hand when they went through (which Harry made Cloud and Tifa swear never to say a word to anyone about or he'd turn them into slugs), leaving Cloud and Tifa for last. The pair lightly jogged through the barrier and was greeted by the familiar scarlet steam engine with bright golden letters "Hogwart's Express".

Luggage was quickly stowed away and good-byes made to the Weasleys and Tonks. Mrs. Weasley took full opportunity to give them all one last bone-crushing hug followed by stern warnings to stay out of trouble. Tonks gave them all slightly less bruising hugs and told them to get into as much trouble as possible.

Mad-Eye didn't really say goodbye to anyone, he just growled and nodded in their general direction as they boarded the train. Unable to resist, Cloud pulled out his wand and gave it a quick flick at Mad-Eye. "Incendio," he whispered and Mad-Eye's peg leg began to smoke and a small flame quickly began to catch. Mad-Eye didn't notice at first until Mrs. Weasley pointed it out to him. With a great yelp, he began to dance around like a fool, swatting the flames with his hands. Trying not to laugh, Mr. Weasley pulled out his own wand and put out the fire with a small stream of water. Mad-Eye's head jerked around, his magical eye swiveling wildly in its socket for the perpetrator. It finally settled on Cloud's smirking face as the train began to pull out of the station. Mad-Eye's good eye began to twitch as a string of curses sent mothers and young children running for cover.

-VII-

"You didn't have to set him on fire," scolded Tifa as they walked behind Harry and Ginny in search of an empty compartment. Hermione and Ron had gone off to meet with the other prefects. Cloud could hear Ginny snickering and just knew that Harry was smiling too.

"Payback for that damn roundabout," he grinned. "Besides, it's not like a set his whole body on fire or anything. He didn't even feel it."

Tifa laughed. As serious as Cloud had been back home, especially after Aeris died, she had almost forgotten the jokester side he had.

They came to an almost empty compartment in the middle of the train. It only had one occupant: a girl with large glasses that were resting upside down on her nose. She was reading a magazine called "The Quibbler" upside down with great interest.

"Hey Luna," called Ginny as she entered the compartment. Luna looked up from her magazine and almost smiled at the group.

"Hello Ginny, Harry," she said. "Who is your friend there?" she pointed at Cloud. "His eyes are glowing. Has he been bitten by a Stirge?"

"What's a Stirge?" asked Tifa, wondering if it was a wizard word for Mako.

"A Stirge is a small firefly like insect that have been terrorizing York and parts of Edinburgh all summer. They bite you and your body begins to glow until it bursts apart in a ball of light," answered Luna.

Cloud and Tifa both turned and looked at Harry and Ginny with blank looks on their faces. Harry and Ginny just laughed and shook their heads. There was no point in trying to explain "Loony" Luna.

Cloud turned back to Luna, "I think I'm ok." She just shrugged and returned to her magazine.

Ron and Hermione soon made their way back and joined them inside the compartment. Luna never looked up, just muttered a quick "Ronald," before returning to her reading. Hermione bristled a little at Luna, looking more like her brandy-legged car Crookshanks then a girl.

"Everyone thinks Luna has a crush on Ron and Hermione's never really liked her from the start. They just don't mix well," whispered Harry when Cloud and Tifa looked for some kind of explanation.

Ginny stood. "Well, as fun as you all are, I'm going to go meet some of my friends," she announced.

"More like going to meet him, you mean," snickered Hermione. Ginny's face quickly flushed bright red and she bolted out of the compartment without another word.

"What do you mean him?" asked Ron, who was also starting to turn red around the ears. "Who's she going to go meet?" he asked Hermione. She pretended not to have any idea what he was talking about and buried her nose in a book. Ron looked at Harry for support, but Harry was as clueless as Ron.

-VII-

The train trip seemed to be longer than Cloud and Tifa remembered, but neither minded. They were enjoying the company of their new friends and exchanging stories of past exploits. Ron was taking great relish in telling Cloud and Tifa about their adventure into the Chamber of Secrets second year.

"And then Lockheart says, "Sword? Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though," and he points to Harry. "He'll lend you one," he says," laughed Ron. Everybody was laughing loudly when the compartment door slid open, a round, slightly clumsy looking boy standing in the doorway.

"Hello everybody," he greeted.

"Hey Neville, come on in," said Hermione and Neville stepped in, almost tripping over Crookshanks in the process.

"Hi, I'm Tifa and this is Cloud," introduced Tifa and held out her hand to shake Neville's. Neville shook it awkwardly, too mesmerized by Tifa's beauty to form words or even complete thoughts. He kept shaking her hand for the better part of a minute before Ron whispered, "Hogwarts to Neville. Come in Neville," and Neville shook his head clear as if he had been in some sort of trance.

"Sorry, he mumbled while Tifa and Hermione tried not to laugh. "Actually, I really came by to ask Harry if we were going to have more D.A. meetings this year."

"D.A.?" asked Cloud.

"Dumbledore's Army," replied Hermione. "A self-defense class Harry taught last year when our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor didn't teach us a damn thing."

"It was really helpful," said Neville with a big smile on his face. "I learned a lot and got loads better. So, are you going to do it again, Harry?" Neville practically begged Harry.

"I don't know," answered Harry honestly. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Since Umbridge is gone and Dumbledore has control again, there's really no need anymore," said Hermione logically. Neville's face fell like someone just told him his pet died. Harry noticed and smiled.

"Don't worry about it Neville. I'll think about it and talk to Dumbledore about maybe making it a real club or something," he reassured his friend. Neville beamed and left, so excited he collided with the food trolley as it made its way down the train's aisle.

"Slow down, you little terror!" the old witch who pushed the trolley called after Neville. "Would you dears like anything to eat?" she asked as she turned towards the teens in the compartment.

"You guys ever have any Wizard candy before?" Harry asked Cloud and Tifa. They both shook their heads no. Smiling brightly, Harry turned back to the witch and said, "We'll take the lot." He paid her a handful of Sickles and soon the compartment was full of all sorts of wizarding treats. Everyone dug in and watched Cloud and Tifa. Even Luna looked up from her magazine to watch the fun.

Ron was passing around fruit snacks that made your face turn different colors with each flavor while Cloud opened a box of Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Jelly Beans.

"Be careful with those," warned Harry as Cloud poured a bunch into his hand. "They really mean every flavor. I once saw Dumbledore eat an earwax flavored one."

Cloud scoffed at the idea and popped a brown supposedly chocolate flavored bean into his mouth. A couple of chews later he was spitting it out and biting into handfuls of Licorice Wands to get the taste out of his mouth. Everyone laughed at the sight.

"What was it?" asked Tifa.

"Liver," mumbled Cloud in between Licorice Wands. Everyone laughed even harder.

A bell went off outside the compartment and Ron and Hermione stood up.

"We're almost there," said Hermione. "We've got to go help out first years. You all should change into your robes."

They left and everyone dove into their packs, pulling on their black Hogwarts Robes. Tifa nearly fell over when she saw Cloud. The sight of Cloud: Buster Sword wielding, monster slaying badass in robes and a tie was almost too much for her to bear. She fell backwards onto her seat laughing until tears fell from her eyes.

"Go ahead," Cloud told her. "Get it out of your system." He had been dreading wearing these stupid robes since he got them in Madam Malkin's. He turned to look at his reflection in the window. "Hey! I look pretty good in these!" he shouted at her.

"It's not that you look bad," said Tifa in between snorts of laughter. "I'm just used to seeing you in your SOLDIER uniform with a sword on your back, that's all."

"Well, don't get used to me wearing this getup. It isn't going to last."

"Aw, come on Cloud. They aren't that bad. At least its not a wig and a dress," teased Tifa. Cloud's eyes snapped open wide as plates and he waved a finger at Tifa.

"Hey that was to save your life!" he shouted defensively.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Harry.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing!" said Cloud instantly. Tifa winked and smiled at Harry and he knew he'd hear about it someday.

-VII-

The train pulled up to the station at Hogsmeade and everybody piled out onto the dark platform.

"Firs' years!" called a deep voice over the dim. "Firs' years over here!" Cloud turned toward the source of the voice and looked up at the tallest, shaggiest man he had ever seen.

"Hi Hagrid!" called Harry.

"Have a nice summer Harry?" Hagrid called over. "You two," Hagrid pointed at Cloud and Tifa, "Dumbledore said you're supposed to come with me." Cloud and Tifa shrugged and waved goodbye to the others as they piled into carriages pulled by the evilest and most hideous looking horses they ever saw.

"What's with those horses?" Tifa asked Cloud. He just shrugged his shoulders and followed after Hagrid.

-VII-

Slipping and sliding, Cloud and Tifa followed Hagrid and a flock of first years down a steep, narrow path. Only Cloud, with his glowing eyes and enhanced senses could see where they were going.

The narrow path suddenly opened out onto the edge of a great black lake. Across its glassy surface, atop a high mountain stood a vast castle with dozens of turrets and towers. A fleet of small boats was waiting for them on the shore to take them across the lake.

"No more'n four to a boat!" called Hagrid and climbed into one himself. The tiny boat sagged deep in the water and for a moment Cloud thought the massive man was going to sink it. But the boat bobbed back up as it adjusted to Hagrid's weight. Cloud and Tifa slipped into the boat nearest to them, along with the small boy Harry had encouraged back at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid. "Alright then—FORWARD!" The fleet of little boats moved off all at once, magically gliding across the glassy lake, leaving barely a ripple in their wake.

They reached the castle in no time and landed at some kind of underground harbor beneath a cliff face. The students clambered out onto the rocks and pebbles, Tifa had to help the small boy over some of the larger rocks.

Led by Hagrid's lamp and Cloud's glowing eyes, the troop made their way across the smooth, damp lawn and up a flight of stone stairs to the huge, Oak and Iron front door.

"Everyone here in one piece?" Hagrid smiled and raised one gigantic fist and knocked three times on the door.

-VII-

The doors swung open at once and a tall, stern faced witch in emerald-green robes stood there waiting for them.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here. You hurry onto the Great Hall." Hagrid nodded and trotted off.

The students piled into the entrance hall and stood in wonder. The hall was so big you could have fit an entire house in it. the walls were lit with flaming torches and magnificent marble staircases led to the numerous floors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall as she led them down the stone hallway. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room," she paused as she stopped them in front of another pair of massive wooden doors.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each ahs produced their share of outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." She put her ear against the great wooden doors and smiled. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. Mr. Strife? Ms Lockheart?" McGonagall peered over the crowd and found Cloud and Tifa almost instantly; they were quite taller than the rest of the group. "As transfer students, you two will be Sorted first." Cloud and Tifa shuffled to the front of the line of first years and McGonagall led them into the Great Hall.

Cloud had never even imagined such a strange and wonderful place could exist. Thousands and thousands of lit candles floated overhead, lighting the four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laid with glittering plates and goblets of gold. There was another long table at the top of the hall where the teachers were sitting. Cloud could see Hagrid squeezing his bulk into one of the chairs next to a tiny little witch. Dumbledore sat in the middle, conversing with a stocky man smoking a pipe.

Cloud looked over at Tifa. She was staring up at a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. It was hard to believe there was a ceiling at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the heavens. A blazing comet whizzed by and she smiled brighter than any star. Despite their prior stay at Hogwarts, neither Cloud nor Tifa had seen anything like this. They were just as amazed as the first years.

While they stared at the ceiling, McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the teacher's table. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. The hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. The entire room stared silently at the hat, waiting for something to happen. Then the hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth—and then the hat started to sing:

_"Welcome to Hogwarts, both young and old,_

_Come on in and get out of the cold._

_It's start of term again, introductions to be made._

_I am The Sorting Hat; I've been here from the start,_

_Though not always such a work of art._

_Place me on your head and I'll take a peek inside,_

_Don't be afraid, I'll never tell a soul what I find._

_Your potential, your personality, your pride,_

_I'll use it all and sort you out into fair Founder's homes._

_Fair Ravenclaw, as beautiful as the sky,_

_The bright and gifted caught her eye._

_If courageous, bold and loyal thou art,_

_Brave Gryffindor seeks thy warrior's heart._

_Sly Slytherin, he tried to keep the school pure,_

_But instead the cleaver and cunning take up his lore._

_Kind Hufflepuff just couldn't decide,_

_"So I'll take them all," she delightfully cried._

_So it was and so shall it be…_

_The smartest and brightest don Ravenclaw's plume,_

_The Kind and Just, Hufflepuff Yellow will wear._

_The Brave and the Bold to Gryffindor go,_

_And the crafty and cunning Slytherin's your place._

_4 houses, yet but one school…_

_No matter which house you go,_

_A Hogwarts student you are as a whole._

_Compete you will, but unite you must,_

_Only together will final victory entrust._

_In this war of dark vs. light,_

_It is the gray warrior who decides the fight._

_Choose evil or choose good,_

_Perhaps even embrace the Angel within…_

_Or remain in darkness' shadow shall all?_

_But none of that now,_

_Please don't have a cow._

_Put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_Fun's times ahead, don't get in a flap,_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I am The Hogwarts Sorting Hat!"_

The whole hall burst into thunderous applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to all the house tables and then to the teachers before going still again.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long roll of parchment.

"This year, a pair of transfer students have arrived at Hogwarts from distant lands and they will be sorted before the first years. When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool and be sorted. Tifa Lockheart!"

Tifa slid out of line and walked fearlessly towards McGonagall. She put on the dusty old hat and almost instantly the hat came back to life and shouted out: "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and one or two catcalls. Tifa smiled when Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were among the ones clapping the hardest. She sat down besides Hermione and waited for Cloud to be sorted.

McGonagall waited for the cheers to die down before calling out the next name: "Cloud Strife!"

Cloud walked up to the hat and put it on over his spiky hair. He waited. The hat didn't shout out immediately like it had with Tifa. Then he heard the hat's voice whisper in his ear.

"_My, my. Aren't you a tough one, hmm? Plenty of courage, even more than your pretty girlfriend had. But something else too. Fear, reluctance, loss, pain, and vengeance. You can't hide them from me boy, they're all right here in your head. There's something dark in here too, isn't there? Something trying to get out. You can feel it, cant you? Always clawing, trying to work its way to the surface, hmm? Why don't you let that monster out? You'd be stronger, you know. Strong enough to get your revenge. Strong enough to have saved her. And Slytherin is the perfect place for you to learn to use that monster along the way."_ Cloud gritted his teeth and pinched his eyes close tightly, trying to block out the images of Sephiroth, Voldemort, and Aeris.

Back at the tables, Harry felt his scar sizzle slightly as The Sorting Hat sat on Cloud's head. He rubbed it curiously as Cloud gripped the stool so tightly the wood began to crack and splinter.

'NO!' Cloud shouted defiantly inside his own head. 'I won't be a puppet, never again! I will never let it out! I'm stronger than it. I control it, not the other way around!'

_"We shall see in due time, but for now I guess you belong in _GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat shouted that last word to the whole hall and Cloud nearly threw the hat off his head as he walked shakily towards the Gryffindor table. Cheers erupted all around him and he sat down besides Tifa. She looked carefully at her friend while she clapped, sure something had gone wrong with that hat.

Harry rubbed his scar and looked at Cloud. "Took me a long time to get sorted too," he said, thinking that was what had been bothering Cloud. Cloud nodded and they all turned to watch the rest of the Sorting Ceremony.

-VII-

The rest of the Sorting Ceremony passed quickly, especially for Cloud. While he watched and clapped appropriately, his mind was somewhere far off. He kept thinking about what the Sorting Hat had said in his song and while on his head. "Angel within…" the hat had song. "The monster within you." Cloud both knew and was afraid that what the Hat had said was true, that something was lurking…

Dumbledore interrupted Cloud's train of thought as he rose out of his seat and spread his arms wide, beaming at his students.

"Welcome," he said. Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. Before we begin the feast, I would like to say a few words. Peppermint! Blubber! Salsa! Thank you!"

He sat back down and everyone cheered at the sheer ridiculous of it.

Cloud was about to ask Harry if Dumbledore was drunk or not, when the dishes in front of him were filled with food. A feast lay before him, he had never seen so many different foods on one table: beef, chicken, pork and lamb chops, sausage, bacon, potatoes of all shapes and sizes, peas, carrots, and many other things Cloud couldn't even recognize, but did they smell good. He piled some of everything onto his plate and began to eat.

After everyone had eaten until they were ready to burst, the remains of food vanished from their plates and mountains of deserts appeared before them: huge ice cream sundaes topped with fudge and candies, pies, cakes, pudding—it was quite outrageous. Suddenly able to eat more, Cloud helped himself to several deserts while the others talked about classes.

"Do we still have to have class with the Slytherin's?" asked Ron.

"Afraid so. Potions, Care for Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts," answered Hermione.

Cloud was about to ask what those classes were when Dumbledore stood up once again.

"Ahem—now that we're all fed and watered and happy, I have a few start-of-term notices for you all."

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. A few of our older students would do well to remember this as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes passed over Harry and his friends for a moment before he continued. "I have been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Also the use of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, as funny and charming as they may be, are not to be used other than outdoors and in your common rooms. The full list comprises some six hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." A small, mischievous smile tugged at the corners of the old wizard's mouth.

"Quidditch tryouts will be held the second week of term. Anyone wishing to play for their house teams should speak to their team's captain or Madam Hooch."

Dumbledore turned to the stocky, pipe-smoking man sitting besides him. "Allow me to introduce our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mr. Cid Cosmos." Cid stood up and waved to all the students. He was an older man, though not nearly as old as Dumbledore, with a grizzled face and cheerful eyes.

"And now, to bed. Off you go," said Dumbledore cheerfully. The students rose and shuffled towards their respected houses. Ron and Hermione led the way towards Gryffindor tower, telling the various first years to be careful on the stairs and how they like to change. Cloud and Tifa didn't pay any attention. They were too busy staring at all the moving and talking paintings. Some of them recognized Cloud and Tifa from their earlier stay that summer and talked to them.

They drudged up the countless stairs until they reached a portrait of a very fat lady in a pink dress. "Password?" she asked. "Magnus Moria," answered Hermione and the portrait swung open, reveling a large round hole into the Gryffindor common room. The common roof was a large circular room filled with large, overstuffed chairs and a roaring fireplace. Two staircases led up to the girls and boys dormitories. After saying goodnight to the girls, and watching Ron and Hermione kiss their goodnights, the boys trekked up to their room and the large four-post beds that were waiting for them. Their trunks had already been brought up as well.

Too full of good food and too tired to talk, the boys quickly slipped to various pajamas and crawled into bed. They were asleep within moments…except for Cloud.

Cloud lay wide-awake on his feather pillow and eyed the velvet curtains that hung over his bed. His mind was still filled with what the Sorting Hat had said and it made him uneasy. Cloud was just about to put it all out of his mind and go to sleep when a fierce pain exploded in his left arm.

Cursing silently, Cloud grabbed his arm and clenched his fist, waiting for the pain to pass. When it didn't, Cloud crept out of his bed and put on his SOLDIER uniform and armor. Removing his Buster Sword from his pocket and quietly restoring it to its normal size, Cloud made his way past Harry and Ron's beds and opened the window. Glancing over his shoulder at the other boys: Neville, Dean, and Seamus, to make sure they were all still sleeping soundly. Sure that he wasn't seen, Cloud jumped out the tower window and into the night.

* * *

Author's notes: 

I hope you all liked this chapter. Not a lot in terms of action, but a necessary chapter nonetheless. Hope you liked my Sorting Hat song, and no, Cloud does not have the Geo-Stigma illness from Advent Children. What I have in mind is something different. Thank you everyone who answered my question about Sephiroth's wing/wings. I still haven't made up my mind on the issue, but your comments help a lot. Thanks and keep on reading and reviewing.

Nataku's Wrath


	14. Classes for Cloud

Chapter 14

"Classes for Cloud"

* * *

The next morning, the Gryffindors sat eating their breakfasts. Some, like Hermione, were looking forward to the start of another year of classes. Others, like Ron, were dreading another year of homework and exams. Tifa was merely wondering why Cloud was so late to breakfast… 

She got her answer a few minutes later when Cloud stormed into the Great Hall, his hair and robes soaked. The entire hall erupted in laughter, but was cut short by a hard glare from Cloud. Only Tifa had the nerve to keep on laughing when Cloud sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"What happened to you?" she asked in between giggles.

"Peeves," was the gruff reply. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all nodded as if that one name explained everything.

"Water balloons or broken pipe?" asked Harry.

"Balloons."

"Ha, must mean he likes you. Usually new students get the full broken pipe spray," chided Ron.

Hermione finally took pity on Cloud and waved her wand over his head. A warm, strong breeze puffed out from inside Cloud's robes like a hair dryer on full blast. He was dry in no time, but his attitude towards Peeves had changed little.

"Is it possible to kill a poltergeist?" he asked the group. They all shrugged their shoulders.

-VII-

Cloud and Tifa's first class as "wizards" was Transfiguration. The teacher, Professor McGonagall, droned on for over half the class, explaining the various projects and subjects they would cover this term. Cloud zoned out for nearly the entire lecture, tired from his late night escapades. Cloud sat slumped deep in his chair. The lack of sleep and nightly retreats were wearing him down worse than a fight against a Behemoth. As a consequence, his Mako-enhanced healing abilities were working overtime patching up the damage. He looked awake and aware enough; could even have answered questions if McGonagall had asked him to, but he was mostly in a state of hibernation. He snapped out it when he heard the students react to something McGonagall said. Something about Animagus training.

Before Cloud could ask Tifa what McGonagall had been talking about, they were assigned their first project: turning a paper clip into a mouse. Cloud watched as McGonagall passed around a box of regular, Muggle paper clips. He stared at his own for a long time, wondering how he was supposed to transform it into a mouse. He watched the others whisk their wands of the paper clips. Some did nothing at first, others seemed to dance and scurry around the desks. Hermione's turned into a mouse almost instantly. Cloud thought he saw McGonagall lick her lips at the sight of the small brown mouse.

Soon almost everyone had transfigured his or her paper clips into something at least more than a folded piece of metal. Harry managed to create a mouse-like creature, except it was still made of metal and wasn't moving at all.

Cloud watched Tifa bite her lip in concentration and wave her wand over the paper clip. She was a natural. She transfigured the paper clip almost perfectly. The only mistake she made was her mouse's tail was still made of metal. She turned and looked at Cloud and smiled at him.

Cloud smiled back at her and turned to his own paper clip. He nervously waved his wand over the paper clip, just like he saw everyone else do, and he focused as hard as he could on turning the little piece of metal into a mouse.

Nothing happened. The clip didn't even move.

Cloud tried again. This time he waved the wand harder and at the end pointed its tip at the paper clip. The clip began to grow in size and change into a ball-like shape. Cloud watched as the clip began to jerk around and he saw two little bits of metal jut out of the metal ball like legs. He smiled confidently at Tifa and looked back at the transforming ball of metal. It began to lengthen and take a mouse-like shape.

That's when it blew up with a loud POP! Cloud's desk became a smoldering crater and his face was covered with smoke. For the second time that morning, he heard the students gathered there laughing at his expense. He felt his anger grow and it took Tifa's warning hand on his shoulder to prevent him from doing something regretful.

Fortunately, the bell rang and the students forgot all about Cloud's accident in order to hurry on to their next class.

Cloud was the last to leave. He took his time gathering up his things and apologizing to Prof. McGonagall for ruining the desk. She assured him it happens all the time and not to get upset or frustrated. Then she shooed him off to his next class: Care for Magical Creatures.

-VII-

The fresh air did wonders for Cloud's temper. He was waiting near the edge of the Forbidden Forest with Tifa, away from the rest of the students. The smells of the Forest reminded him of home and the occasionally peaceful nights he shared around the campfires with his comrades.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were waiting outside Hagrid's hut when Malfoy and the other Slytherins showed up for class. Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, walked right up to Harry and sneered at the boy.

"We've got unfinished business Potter. Don't think I've forgotten about what you did to me back in that alley."

"I really don't remember too much, Malfoy. Mostly it taking all three of you to beat me," answered Harry. He balled up his fists, just waiting for an excuse to knock that smirk off Malfoy's face. He knew Ron was behind him all the way and Hermione would fight too if she had to.

Malfoy turned his face away from Harry to stare at Hermione. The normally fearless girl cringed at the boy and looked away.

"What's the matter, Mudblood?" snickered Malfoy. "Upset we never got to have our alone time?" He reached out to touch her, but his hand was stopped by a vise-like grip.

"We gotta stop meeting like this," smiled Tifa as she yanked back on Malfoy's arm, putting him in a hammerlock. "Someone still hasn't learned any manners," she growled as she applied more pressure. Malfoy squealed like a pig and cried for Crabbe and Goyle to help.

"They're a little occupied at the moment," laughed Tifa. Malfoy turned his head to see Cloud holding both Crabbe and Goyle, one under each arm, in a headlock. The two gorilla-like boys struggled helplessly.

'You know, this is just the sort of thing I needed to brighten up my day,' thought Cloud. He nodded at Tifa. He let her do the threatening. He didn't have the patience for "good cop/bad cop". Cloud's style leaned more towards slice first; ask questions later. He left being subtle and threatening to Tifa.

She loosened her hold on Malfoy just enough for him to stop whimpering and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"I'm going to say this slowly so there's no misunderstanding, okay? Harry and all his friends are now our friends. And we don't like people hurting or making fun of our friends. If you so much as look at Harry the wrong way or even think about laying a finger on Hermione, this arm will become my personal property. I'll rip it off and mount it above the fireplace in our common room." She twisted his arm a bit to emphasize that she really could rip it off if she wanted to. Malfoy screamed.

"Ey! What's goin' on out dere?" came a loud shout from inside the hut. Cloud and Tifa quickly released Malfoy and his cronies and slipped behind Harry. Hagrid came bounding out of his hut, a dozen large fish tied to his moleskin vest and smelling to high heaven. He immediately noticed the painful expressions on the Slytherin's faces and the oh-so-innocent faces Cloud and Tifa wore.

"What happened, 'Arry?" he asked. Harry just shrugged his shoulders. Ron did the same. Hagrid looked carefully at Hermione and swore he saw tears in her eyes.

"You all right, 'Mione?" he asked her. Before Hermione could answer, Tifa whisked her away from Hagrid's beetle-black eyes.

"Just girl stuff, Hagrid," she assured him as she put an arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Oh. OH," exclaimed Hagrid as Tifa's meaning dawned on him. He wisely dropped it and turned towards the recovered Slytherin boys. "What's eatin' yer shorts this time?"

Malfoy didn't answer at first. He looked at Tifa, who gave him her sweetest looking smile with eyes that promised a whole world of pain, and Cloud, who's eyes were blazing brighter than the torches used in the castle. "N-nothing," he muttered before stomping aside.

Hagrid shook his head. "Teenagers," he muttered under his breath. "Well, since nothin's goin' on, I'll just start class. Follow me," he said in a loud voice and marched off towards the lake. The students followed obediently, steering clear of the sulking Malfoy.

Hagrid stopped them along the sandy banks of the lake. "Now, I gots a special treat for you. Today, I'm going to introduce ye to Hogwart's Giant Squid, Beaky." Most of the student's paled at the thought of coming face to face with the legendary Giant Squid that resided in the lake. They knew from past experience that Hagrid sometimes got a bit overzealous when it came to his classes. Poor Neville still had nightmares about the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Meanwhile, Cloud and Tifa just wondered what a Giant Squid really was and why you would name it Beaky.

Hagrid waded into the glassy water up to his massive knees and beckoned for the students to come to the water's edge.

"Can anybody tell me about Giant Squid?" he asked enthusiastically. Few things excited Hagrid more than large monsters, and they don't come much bigger than the Giant Squid.

Hermione, recovered but still flustered, raised her hand. "Giant Squid are deep-sea creatures that look almost identical to normal sized squid. They are muggle creatures having no ties to magic whatsoever."

"Very good, 'Mione. 5 points to Gryffindor."

"Why are we looking at a stupid Muggle fish then?" asked Zabini Blaise, a Slytherin even more stuck-up than Malfoy. He hated Muggle-Borns so much; he refused to even waste his breath to make fun of them like Malfoy did.

"Well, can ye tell me what's special about our Giant Squid then?" asked Hagrid. Hermione raised her hand again.

"It's not really a Giant Squid."

"That's right. Another 5 points to Gryffindor. Our Giant Squid is really a magical cousin to the muggle type called a Kraken. They're fierce creatures and considered the deadliest creature in the sea. They grow to enormous sizes, are extremely intelligent, and have been known to wipe out entire islands of people and animals in a single night." Hagrid pulled one of the large fish from his vest and held it above the water. He dipped the fish into the water three times then stood back to wait.

The usually glassy water began to churn and bubble, like a cauldron in Potion's Class. Great barbed tentacles broke the surface, writhing around in search of prey. Each one must have been as long as the Hogwart's Express. An arrow-shaped head emerged next, easily the size of Gryffindor Tower. Monstrous black eyes stared at the students with a feral intellect that even raised the hairs on the back of Tifa's neck. The tentacles spread from the beast's underside, revealing a large, parrot-like beak, explaining the Kraken's name. The beak clicked twice and opened wide for Hagrid to throw the fish in. Hagrid tossed the fish into the beast's maw and smiled with pride when the beak crushed the fish into jelly before swallowing it.

"Now den. Who wants to pet him?"

-VII-

Snape was in his usual fool mood when the Gryffindors and Slytherins filed into the dungeons for Potions. Snape glared coldly at each Gryffindor student and stared mercilessly at Harry when sat down at his desk. Harry did his best to ignore Snape. He still partially blamed Snape for what happened to Sirius and it took all of Harry's willpower just to be in the same room as the greasy-haired Potion's Teacher.

Snape didn't speak to the students; he just waved his wand at the blackboard. The recipe for Dragon's Draught—a spicy potion used to placate dragons—wrote itself on the board. Snape paced along the rows of desks, watching the students make their potions. He would often whisper helping hints into the ears of his Slytherin students as he walked past and praised them for even the most mundane accomplishments. Especially Malfoy. To the Gryffindors, he never helped them, even if they asked (which no one ever did after Neville tried once and lost 20 points disturbing the teacher). Snape only offered sarcastic, cutting remarks about the Gryffindor potions. Even if they were done right, he would accuse them of cheating or he would find some tiny, insignificant flaw in them. Especially Harry's.

Harry was having a hard time with the potion. It was very advanced and complex. In fact, all the Gryffindors were having a hard time, except Cloud. He was progressing through the recipe even faster than Hermione and his potion looked a lot better than hers.

"How did you learn how to make potions?" whispered Tifa. She was working next to Cloud and her potion looked like something that came out of a Malboro's rear end.

"Shin-ra used to make us make our own explosives and Hi-Potions," he answered softly.

"Time's up," Snape barked from his desk. He waved his wand and all the ingredients and tools the students used vanished, leaving only their potions sitting in cauldrons.

Snape barely glanced at the Slytherin potions, giving every student good marks almost automatically. He gave Malfoy's the highest mark.

"Well done as always, Mr. Malfoy," praised Snape in a tone that made Harry's blood boil.

"Must be easy when the teacher practically makes every potion for you," muttered Harry angrily.

"What was that Potter?" growled Snape as he crossed the room. Harry thought about repeating his remark, but managed to bite his tongue and keep his anger in check.

"Nothing, Sir."

Snape's eyes burned into Harry. Harry could feel Snape, the skilled Legilimens, invading his mind and finding exactly what he said. Harry shut his eyes and closed off his mind almost immediately.

"Hmm, nothing indeed," sneered Snape. "You're getting better, Potter, but you're still not nearly good enough." The class thought Snape was talking about Harry's potion making, but Harry knew Snape was referring to Occlumency. The ring Dumbledore gave him for his birthday had helped Harry a lot, creating mental shields and barriers even when he took the ring off. But as Snape just proved, those shields were still not strong enough.

"You forgot to add Bulgar Weed roots to your potion, Potter," Snape almost smiled at Harry and tapped the cauldron with his wand. Harry's work vanished, leaving him with a zero for the day.

Led by Malfoy, the Slytherins laughed cruelly at Harry. They knew Snape would never stop them or punish them for tormenting a Gryffindor, especially Potter, in his classroom and they took advantage of it.

"Shut up!" shouted Cloud over his shoulder at the Slytherins. They did, although not because Cloud told them to. They shut up because they saw Snape's eyes flash with anger and they didn't want to miss the head of their house rip into the new kid.

"5 points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn and another 10 points for shouting at fellow students, Mr. Strife," snapped Snape. He looked at Cloud's potion, expecting to see some easy excuse to get rid of it like Potter's. Snape's greasy brow crunched up when he saw none. Cloud's potion was almost as good as Malfoy's had been, and without help as well.

'I'm going to have to watch this one,' he thought. Before the students thought he was going soft he tapped Cloud's cauldron and the potion vanished.

"You forgot to cut the skin off your Fire Salamander tails," he said as he walked off. It didn't matter if you left the skins on or not; Snape just wanted a reason to penalize Cloud.

"That wasn't in your instructions," Cloud said to Snape's back. The class drew in breath in shock. No one ever talked back to Snape. Potter was the only one who ever had and he got detentions for it.

"You should have known from your prior studies," said Snape, his voice rising in anger. "Even Longbottom knows that and he was a hard time standing upright, you spikey haired fool!" Snape continued to walk away from Cloud when he heard the boy mutter something under his breath.

"What was that?" he asked loudly as he spun back around and stalked towards Cloud.

Most, if not all, students would have cringed in terror at the prospect of being face to face with an angry Snape, but Cloud didn't flinch. He waited calmly for Snape to come closer and closer.

"You. Are. An. Asshole," repeated Cloud, pronouncing every word loudly and clearly.

The students, even the Slytherins, stood in shock and fear. No one had ever stood up to Snape like this, not even Potter. Many thought Snape was going to kill Cloud on the spot.

Snape's eye twitched in its socket and his face turned red with anger. His hand began to move all on its own, raising his wand over his head to curse the disrespect out of Cloud. Then more rational thought took over and Snape forced his wand back down to his side.

"Detention, Strife. Tonight." Snape spat the words out through his clenched teeth. Then he whirled out of the classroom in disgust.

The period bell rang and the students filed out, still dumbstruck at what had happened.

-VII-

Word of Cloud's disrespect soon spread through Hogwarts like the plague and by dinner there was dozens of students either congratulating him or wishing him luck. It seems that Snape's detentions were something of legendary.

"He once made my brother's clean the entire owlry with toothbrushes," said Ron as they ate.

"That's not true," argued Ginny. "They told me it was the Slytherin common room."

"Maybe it was both," said Harry.

"There's no way I'm cleaning anything with a toothbrush," Cloud said as he got up to go.

"Behave," smiled Tifa. "You don't want another one."

"Hey, it's me," Cloud winked at her and left.

"Exactly!" shouted Tifa after him and started laughing. The others looked at her strangely, waiting for an explanation.

"Cloud has a problem with bullies," she explained. "If Snape pushes him, Cloud will push back even harder. He used to get into fights at the drop of a hat when he was a kid." She stopped and stared off into space, remembering Nibelhiem.

-VII-

Snape was sitting at his desk in his office grading papers when Cloud walked in without knocking.

"You will knock on my door, Mr. Strife, not come barging into my office like it was your own," he sneered, not even looking up from his papers.

"Why you got a girl under your desk or something?" asked Cloud.

Snape turned bright red. "How dare you imply I would have a girl…"

"Oh, a guy's guy, huh. I know Malfoy kissed your ass, never would have guessed he sucked your…"

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Snape, jumping up from behind his desk. "Another detention tomorrow." Cloud just shrugged, as if getting detention was meaningless to him.

"This way," growled Snape as he stormed out of his office. Cloud followed, his hands behind his head, mumbling a little tune he learned from Cid Highwind back on his airship.

"_Take my love, take my land, take me where I can not stand;_

_I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me._

_Take me out to the black tell me I ain't comin back_

_Burn the land and boil the sea, you cant take the sky from me._

_There's no place I can be; since I found serenity._

_No you can't take the sky from me…"_

"Stop singing," ordered Snape. Cloud stopped for a minute before beginning to whistle the tune. Snape growled and ground his teeth in annoyance, but walked on.

They came to a large storeroom near the Charm's classroom, filled haphazardly with large boxes, chests, and trucks. Empty rows of shelves lined the far wall.

"Mr. Filch wants all the boxes, chests, and trucks stacked neatly along the shelves," Snape said pointing at the boxes and shelves. "No magic," he put extra empathizes on that. "I'll be back later tonight to check on your progress." And he left, chuckling under his breath.

'Each of those boxes is filled with heavy iron cauldron and gold scales. After three boxes, Strife's arms will be like jelly and his back will be as bent and distorted as a question mark.'

-VII-

Half an hour later…

Snape was back grading papers when Peeves flew in through his office wall.

"Hehehehe!" he giggled girlishly.

"Unless you have a specific purpose here, Peeves, I suggest you leave at once. Or the Baron visits you tonight," threatened Snape, using Peeves' fear of the Slytherin ghost, the Bloody Baron, to his advantage.

Usually mentioning the Baron was enough to make Peeves scurry away, but this time he just floated above Snape's head, turning cartwheels in the air and giggling.

"Hehe, Snivellus has other things to worry about then little old Peeves. Like new students who make you look like a fool, Hehehehe!'

"Mr. Strife is enjoying his just desserts for his disrespect right now, Peeves," replied Snape, still focused on his papers.

"Oh no he's not…" cackled Peeves before flying through the door.

Snape was immediately on his feet and down the halls to the Charm's storeroom in no time. 'If that boy isn't working or isn't here, I'll have him cleaning the owlry with his tongue for the rest of term,' he thought as he threw open the storeroom door.

Cloud was sitting on a box, playing wizard's chess with Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor Ghost, and using another box as a table for their game.

"What the hell is going on here?" yelled Snape.

"Nick is teaching me Wizard's chest. What does it look like?" answered Cloud as the terrified Nick floated through a wall. "Ah, you scared away my opponent. Do you want to play?"

Snape was furious. "I don't know how things were done at your old school, Strife, but here students do not play games while in detention!" he seethed. "Now get back to work and…"

"But I'm finished," interrupted Cloud. "I stacked all your junk." He pointed to the shelves in the far corner of the room. They were filled with the many boxes, chests, and trunks.

"I told you no magic!" yelled Snape.

"I didn't use any magic!" Cloud yelled right back. He shoved the chess pieces and board into the box they had been using as a table and picked it up. He tossed the box at an empty space on the shelves. The box flew through the air and landed perfectly on the shelf. Then Cloud picked up the box he had been sitting on and carried it to the shelf. He tossed the heavy box into the last remaining empty spot with remarkable ease.

Cloud clapped the dust off his hands and walked towards the door past the dumbfounded Snape.

"See you tomorrow night."

-VII-

The next morning, Cloud followed the rest of the Gryffindors for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Cloud was really looking forward to this class. It sounded like the only class he'd be good at. Fighting and killing monsters and combating the forces of evil was the only thing he had ever been good at.

The new teacher was waiting for them when they filled in. He was wearing an old, well worn set of robes with a red vest on underneath. A pair of reading glasses sat next to a smoldering pipe on his desk.

"Come in, come in," he said impatiently. "We don't have all damn day." The class quickly seated themselves and he began his first class.

"My name is Cid Cosmos," he began. "Call me Prof. Cid. And I will be your teacher against the dark arts this year, since it seems you go through us like socks. Dumbledore informed me of this supposed curse on my position as well as telling me about your past professors. It seems you've had some very good and some very piss poor and stupid professors in the last few years." He held up a bit of parchment and put on a pair of reading glasses. "Let's see here: Prof. Quirrell was a whining coward and turned out to have the remains of the Dark Lord sticking out the back of his head. Gilderoy Lockhart was a pompous, self-promoting buffoon that couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag. Remus Lupin was your first teacher worth a damn, did a fantastic job concerning dark creatures. Unfortunately, some of your parents ran him off when Snape told them Lupin happened to be a werewolf. Mad-Eye Moody also did a good job teaching you curses. Course being a Death Eater in disguise he should have known a lot about the Unforgivable Curses. Ah, and then there's Dolores Umbridge. Not to pull a punch, the woman—and I say that in the broadest terms of the word—is a toad sucker and didn't teach you a stinkin' thing!" The students began to laugh at Cid's colorful depiction of Umbridge and a few even clapped.

"And then there was your other teacher from last year, Mr. Harry Potter." The class went silent as Cid approached Harry's desk. "I believe I owe you a word of thanks, Potter. Dumbledore told me you taught those willing to learn more than your share of the practical use of defensive magic. I hope you continue to do so." He held out his hand to Harry and the boy, embarrassed at the attention, shook it. Cid smiled at him and turned back to the rest of the class.

"This year, we are going to step away from magical monsters and curses and toad suckers. This course will focus on using and defending against magical items, something you all have very little experience against. This year I'll be teaching you how to identify charmed and cursed objects, countercharms, problem solving, and defensive measures. Now, who knows what a Golem is?"

Hermione immediately raised her hand and Cid nodded to her. "A Golem is a magically created construct, usually made of stone, and are most commonly used as guards and gatekeepers," she answered.

"Well done. 5 points to Gryffindor," replied Cid. He turned and wheeled out a large, curtained object to the front of the classroom. "Now this is your typical Stone Golem of my own creation." He whisks away the curtain, reveling the giant shape of a man: two arms, two legs, a head, and a barrel chest, all craved out of stone. A rough face was craved into the head with dirty garnets for eyes. "Notice how much larger it is than me. The larger scale makes it easier for the witch or wizard to create it. Golem's have very little in terms of brains," Cid knocks on the stone skull to prove his point, "but they will obey the witch or wizard who made it to the letter. You must always be careful what you order a Golem to do, because they will take that order quite literally. Now then, this Golem is perfect for guard duty and attacking intruders, which I'm happy to say happens to be all of you." He smiled wickedly at the students. Some shifted uneasily in their chairs.

"Everyone stand up!" Cid ordered. With a flick of his wand, the desks and chairs slid across the room and stacked neatly against the sidewall. Another flick closed the classroom door. Cid stepped back behind his desk and shouted: "Golem, remove these intruders from my classroom!"

The Garnet eyes flashed yellow and the Golem lurched to life, its movement jerky and rough, and stomped forward towards the frightened students. The students in the back, all Slytherins, ran for the door and tried to open it to no avail. The Golem stormed closer.

"What are we supposed to do?" cried Lavender Brown as she pressed against the wall of students trying to escape.

"Defend yourselves," answered Cid as he sat down at his desk and poured himself a cup of tea.

Tifa rolled up her sleeve and began to walk towards the stone monster, but a strong hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"I want to see what they're really made of," whispered Cloud into her ear. Tifa stepped back beside him and watched.

The Golem stomped forward, the floorboards groaning in protest under its incredible weight. It singled out a student all by himself, trying to open and escape out one of the windows. It was Malfoy.

He heard the Golem thunder towards him and pulled his wand out of his robes. Stupefy!" he shouted with all the bravado he could muster. A bolt of red shot out of the wand like a bullet and bounced off the Golem's massive chest into the window frame next to Malfoy's head. Malfoy's bravery, as little as there was, quickly turned to terror as the Golem approached. He started casting Stunning Spells at the creature in pure desperation, as if the first one not working had just been a fluke.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!"

These new spells had as little effect as the first had. The Golem loomed overhead. Malfoy stopped casting spells and his eyes fluttered upwards as the Golem towered over him. Malfoy tripped backwards as a rocky hand reached out for his throat…

"Reducto!" Harry shouted.

A blast of energy sped across the classroom and slammed into the Golem's back, blowing a hole clean through the monster's barrel chest. The Golem staggered for a moment then fell backwards, shattering into pebbles on the floor.

"Well done," called Cid and he started to clap. "Well done," he repeated as he stepped away from his desk. Crabbe and Goyle were helping Malfoy back to his feet. Malfoy looked livid. Cid didn't notice, or if he did, he didn't care.

"Now, who can tell me the two things this little demonstration proved?"

"Your bloody mental," Ron called out.

"A little bit, yes," admitted Cid with a smile. "What else?"

Not all magic works on a Golem," said Hermione.

"Correct. 10 points for Harry for stopping the Golem and 5 points for you and Ron's answers. Oh, and 5 points to Mr. Malfoy for at least trying to stop the Golem." Malfoy sneered at Cid, who once again ignores him. Cid swept his wand over the floor and the rubble disappeared.

"Everyone line up straight across the room," Cid ordered. While the students lined up, Cid rolled another curtain-covered shape into the center of the classroom. He pulls back the curtain. A suit of Armor stood on the platform, complete with feathered helmet and great sword. The metal shined brightly, as clear and brilliant as a mirror.

This is an Armor Golem, a more sophisticated variant. Not as bulky as Stone or as messy as flesh, Armor is more malleable to form and easier to enchant. However, the materials are much more expensive, making it less common then any others." Cid then turned to his suit of Armor. "Take one step forward," he ordered. The Armor clanked forward, stepping off its wheeled platform. It stopped right in front of the students.

"On my command, I want you to go down the line, starting with Ms. Parvati, and curse the Armor with your favorite jinx or hex. No Stunning or destructive spells. Just use that cutesy, mostly harmlesscrap they teach around here."

Everyone got out his or her wand and focused on what they were going to cast.

"Everyone ready? Parvati, if you please?" Parvati cast a Jelly-Legs curse at the Armor. It ricocheted into the ceiling. Lavender Brown was next and she tried a Tickling Jinx. It bounced off the Armor's chest plate and struck her right between the eyes. She fell to the ground, laughing hysterically and holding her sides. Neville tried a Body-Lock curse and had about as much success as Lavender and Parvati had. His curse came back and hit him in the chest, knocking him over like a board of wood.

"Reducto!" shouted Malfoy, figuring that the spell worked on one Golem and would work on the other. The blast of energy reflected off the mirror-like surface of the chest plate and bounced back at Malfoy, stronger and faster. He ducked in the nick of time and the spell crashed into the classroom door, blasting a round hole in its center.

"Stop! Stop!" shouted Cid furiously. "I said no destructive curses, you arrogant little shit! Suppose that had been your face instead of the door? You wouldn't have a face even your mother could love; hell you wouldn't have a face at all. You'd be dead! 20 points from Slytherin." Malfoy opened his mouth to protest, but the look in Cid's eyes warned him against it. Cid stormed off, waving his wand at Neville and Lavender, returning them to normal. Another wave fixed the door. Taking a deep breath, Cid stood beside his Golem and continued his lesson.

"As you can see, the Armor is enchanted to reflect all spells back at the caster with double the force it was originally cast." He patted the Golem on the back proudly. "This baby could reflect a Cruciatus Curse from a Death Eater. However, the ability to reflect spells does not make it invincible." He turned towards the students. "Can anyone tell me a way to stop the Golem if I can't attack it directly?"

No one raised their hand, not even Hermione. Then Cloud raised his hand.

"Attack it indirectly," he said. Cid nodded and stepped away from the Golem, standing in-between the Armor and the students.

"Golem, attack me!" he shouted. The Golem sprang to life and marched towards Cid, its great sword raised high above its head. Cid stood strangely calm with wand in hand as the Armor Golem approached.

"Aguamenti!" he shouted and a hose of water sprayed out of his wand. Instead of aiming at the Golem, Cid sprayed the water all over the floor between himself and the advancing Golem. Cid ended his spell and put away his wand, crossing his arms over his chest confidently.

The Golem continued to advance towards Cid and stepped in the large puddle of water. Slipping on the wet floor, the Golem's legs flew out from under it and it crashed on the floor, the armor shattering into its individual arms and legs and torso. The feathered helmet skittered across the room and stopped at Tifa's feet. She picked it up and looked inside of it, seeing nothing but empty space. Cid motioned for the helmet and she threw it to him. Cid caught the helmet and held it proudly against his hip.

"Any questions?"

-VII-

That night at dinner, the whole school was talking about Cid and his Golems. Apparently he did the same thing to every class, even the first years.

"He's madder than Moody was," said Seamus at the Gryffindor table.

"That wasn't even the real Mad-Eye," said Dean in-between spoonfuls of Yorkshire pudding.

"Well, at least the Death Eater didn't sic Golems on us," argued Seamus.

"No, he just tried to kill Harry and helped resurrect Voldemort," chimed in Ginny. The two boys winced at the Dark Lord's name.

"Oh yeah. Right."

"Guess that's a lot worse than a Golem."

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to listen to Cloud talk about his detention with Snape."

"So I threw the last box on the shelf and told him 'See you tomorrow night.'" Everyone listening burst out laughing.

"What do you think he'll make you do tonight?" asked Ron.

"Don't know," answered Cloud. "Maybe help wring the grease out of his hair?" Everyone laughed again.

"You better go," said Hermione when they finally stopped laughing. "You're going to be late if you don't hurry."

Eh, Snape can wait a bit. I'm not done eating."

"Get going Cloud," scolded Tifa. "You promised you'd spar with me sometime this week and we can't if you're stuck in detentions all week."

"Yes, ma'am." Cloud teased as he got up. "I gotta get something from my room anyway." He said his goodbyes and took off towards Gryffindor Tower.

-VII-

Upon arrival, Cloud dug into his truck and removed his SOLDIER uniform and armor. After embarrassing Snape last night, Cloud had the sinking feeling that he might need them tonight. After dressing, he slipped his shrunk sword into his wrist armor and put his outer robe back on, effectively hiding the uniform and armor.

Cloud took his time getting to the dungeons and when he got to Snape's office he walked in without knocking again. This time, Snape was preening in front of a small mirror, combing back his greasy hair. He saw Cloud's reflection in the mirror.

"What did I say about knocking?"

"I forgot."

"10 points from Gryffindor," Snape said coldly. "Follow me."

They walked out of the dungeons, Cloud muttering the Highwind tune again. This time, Snape stopped him before he finished the first line.

"Sing another note and I'll have your tongue as a paperweight," he hissed.

"Sure thing," said Cloud, raising his hands in mock innocence. "Geez, you're touchy. Though I wonder what Dumbledore might say if he knew you threatened students like that?"

Snape stopped in his tracks and glared venomously at Cloud. "Are you going to tattle-tale on me, Strife?" he asked. "Others have tried that before, you know. It seems whenever a student builds up the nerve, something terrible happens to them and their friends." Snape stopped and stood toe-to-toe with the young warrior. "How's your pretty friend Miss Lockheart? Adjusting well to the new surroundings, I trust," he said almost sweetly. He stepped back as Cloud's eyes began to glow bright with rage.

"You cowardly bastard," snarled Cloud.

"Perhaps," sneered Snape as he started walking again. "But do not confuse cowardice and cunning, Strife. It may be the last thing you do."

They walked in silence the rest of the way, all the way across the grounds to Hagrid's Hut.

"You're working in the Forest tonight with Hagrid," said Snape, his voice still dripping venom. "Try not to get eaten by the Half-blood or any of his pets." He laughed at his own racist comment, a cold and hollow sound, and walked back to the castle.

Cloud watched him go, flipping him the finger to Snape's back. When Snape was out of sight, Cloud turned back to the large wooden door and rapped on it. He heard a large dog bawl, followed by the thuds of very large boots.

'What am I getting into now?' he wondered.

* * *

Author's Note: 

I hope you all like my Cid. I was trying to make him a sort of hybrid between Cid Highwind from VII and Cid Kramer from VIII. I wanted to combine the foul mouthed pilot with the grandfatherly Garden Master. Let me know how I did. Read and Review!


	15. Cloud's Familiar

Chapter 15

Cloud's Familiar

* * *

Cloud heard a dog barking loudly from inside the hut and heard heavy feet approaching the door. The door swung open and Hagrid's burly head stuck out the frame.

"You mus' be Cloud," he said. "Come in, still not dark enough to head out into the Forest."

Cloud stepped into the hut and was tackled by a large brown boar hound. The dog jumped up at Cloud, putting its paws on his shoulders, slobbered all over his face.

"Down Fang!" shouted Hagrid. "Get down ye nutcase!"

The dog lumbered off Cloud and sat down besides Cloud's feet. Cloud stepped around the dog and sat down at Hagrid's kitchen table.

"So what do I have to do? Pull weeds? Spread some mulch?" he asked.

"Wha? That's no good fer detention. Nah, you're goin' into de forest wit me, watch my back," Hagrid replied. "Der's dangerous work ta be done tonight."

A small smile pulled at the corners of Cloud's mouth. "What kind of dangerous work?"

"De rescuin' kind," answered Hagrid as he pulled out a large crossbow. "A pair of Night Trolls have entered de Forest and are terrorizin' de place."

"And we're gonna go kill them?"

"Kill em? No, Professor Dumbledore's gonna come out and ask em to leave tomorrow mornin'."

"You're serious?"

Hagrid nodded. "Professor Dumbledore can be quite persuasive when he wants to be. Great man, Dumbledore."

"So what are we doing?" Cloud asked again.

"I told ya. Rescue mission. De Trolls went and attacked a family of Fire Lions last night, killed de parents and took the juvenile for a midnight snack. I'm gonna go in der and rescue him. You're gonna watch my back while we're in de Forest. It's too dangerous these days to go in alone."

"Why me?" asked Cloud curiously. "Why don't you have one of the other professors go with you?"

"De other Professors have their own things to worry about and you had detention. Plus after what I heard about you in Diagon Alley, I figured you'd be able to handle yourself in de Forest." He stood up, scraping the roof of the hut, and donned a moleskin coat. "Ready to go?

Cloud pulled off his school robes, reveling his SOLDIER uniform and armor. He resized his sword and strapped it to his back before nodding to Hagrid.

"Where'd you get that thing?" asked Hagrid pointing to the Buster Sword.

"A friend gave it to me," Cloud said grimly, remembering Zack's death outside of Midgar.

"Dumbledore know you have dat thing?"

Cloud nodded and stepped out the door. Hagrid followed with Fang trailing at his heels.

-VII-

The Forbidden Forest was dark and damp and a low fog crept over the ground, shielding dozens of roots and fallen branches to trip over. The trees were dark and cast long shadows, even though the branches concealed any light from the moon. It reminded Cloud of the Ancient Forest outside of Cosmo Canyon, except this forest lacked the colorful insects and pitcher plants.

Cloud and Hagrid walked through the Forbidden Forest in silence, listening carefully to the sounds of the Forest. They journeyed deep into the Forest, searching each trail and pathway.

They were inspecting a small clearing when a clatter of hooves suddenly shattered the silence of the Forest and three centaurs, each armed with long jagged spears, stormed into the clearing.

"How dare you enter our forest!" shouted the largest centaur, a big black maned creature.

"It's not yer forest, ya prancing pony!" Hagrid shouted back and raised his crossbow at the centaurs. "We have just as much right to be here as you, Bane!"

"You, who have brought abominations into this forest, dare to try to claim it? We warned you in the past. Leave now and never return!"

"Dis forest is a part of Hogwart's grounds and Gwarp is not an abomination! He has as much right to stay here as much as you do!" Hagrid roared back.

"You even dare to arm foals and bring them to attack us!" Bane reared back on his hind legs, neighing wildly. He stamped his feet and stomped towards Cloud, sniffing the air.

"This foal smells of blood," he muttered, fear trickling into his voice. "Mars glows in his eyes." Bane slowly stepped back from Cloud, tightening his grip on his spear.

Cloud shifted warily and inched his hand closer to his sword, but Bane barked in a grunting language and the other centaurs quickly galloped off into the shadows. Cloud turned to Hagrid confused.

"What was that all about? What did he mean: Mars glows in my eyes?"

"Ah, does ruddy centaurs are still upset about that Umbridge woman callin' dem half-breeds and Gwarp beatin' dem all up last year. That Mars business is der silly star-gazin'. They're always makin' prophecies and seein' things dat aren't really der," Hagrid said as he bent down and stared into Cloud's eyes. "Although, yer eyes are glowin' a bit."

Cloud quickly turned away. "So where are those trolls?" he said quickly.

-VII-

They continued deeper into the Forest until they discovered a light trail near a slow stream. Cloud and Hagrid followed it through a glade of blackened trees and into a small thicket of burrs and thorny bushes. Cloud entered the thicket while Hagrid struggled with the thorns and low hanging limbs.

The thicket was a chaotic mess of red blood and tuffs of fur. The blood splattered and pooled along the ground, while tuffs of red fur hung in tatters from the thorny brush.

"Dis must've been de lions' den," whispered Hagrid. "Look for signs of the trolls."

It took Cloud's practiced eyes nearly ten seconds for him to find the haphazard and careless trail left by the trolls. He and Hagrid quickly tore down the trail and journeyed into the black heart of the Forest.

The trail ended outside a large, dark cave. Skeletons of unicorns and centaurs and various bones from creatures Cloud couldn't recognize. The stench of death hung in the air like bad perfume.

Hagrid slung his crossbow over his shoulder and peered into the gloomy black cave.

"I don't think der home," he whispered to Cloud. "You stay out here and watch my back, keep a watch out in case they show up. Hide and whistle if they show up."

Cloud watched the half giant try to be stealthy and sneaky as he crept into the cave. Hagrid had the grace of a bulldozer.

Cloud waited at the mouth of the cave, growing steadily more and more impatient. He wasn't used to having to stand around and wait, he was used to being in the center of the action. Except for his hospital stay in Mideel, Cloud was apart of each and every battle against Sephiroth and the Shin-ra, fighting every monster out in the fields.

He was idly kicking some loose pebbles around the mouth of the cave when his enhanced hearing picked up the faint snapping of a twig in the distance. Cloud immediately snapped into action, looking for a less compromising and vulnerable location to fight from. Spying a nearby tree, Cloud ran to it and made a quick vertical assent.

Hagrid burst out of the cave a moment later, clutching a struggling burlap sack.

"Cloud! I got him, let's get out of here!" Hagrid shouts as he ran out of the cave. He stopped and looked around the area for Cloud. "Where'd he go?"

Suddenly, a large tree near the trail crashed to the ground right in front of Hagrid and he jumped back in surprise.

A pair of black skinned Night Trolls lumbered towards the cave. Their inky black skin shined in the scattered moonlight and their beady red eyes stared at Hagrid. Hagrid stared back at the trolls, not moving, not even breathing.

The two trolls began to argue back and forth in their grunting, snorting language. Hagrid, still holding the wriggling bag, slowly inches away from the arguing trolls. He nearly at the trees when…

SNAP!

Hagrid's large boot snapped an errant twig in half. He winces as the sound echoes throughout the forest. Hagrid turns and peeks at the trolls over his shoulder.

RROOOAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!

The two trolls bellow at Hagrid and charged down the half giant.

"Yaaaaaaa!" yelled Hagrid as he turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

Up in the trees, Cloud shook his head.

"Bumbling idiot," he muttered and leapt from his perch. He went form tree to tree, staying right above the fleeing Hagrid and the pursuing trolls. Grabbing a large vine, Cloud swung down from the canopy. Flying through the air, Cloud overshot Hagrid and the trolls. The bewildered trolls stopped dead in their tracks as Cloud whizzed overhead.

Cursing, Cloud landed on another tree and swung back again. He flew faster and harder this time. He hurtled downward, passing over Hagrid, heading right for the trolls. The trolls stared at him stupidly as he arced towards them. Cloud stuck his heavy boots out in front of him and slammed into the trolls. Each boot hit the trolls right between their beady eyes like a runaway freight train.

The two trolls rocked backwards, dazed. They staggered around drunkenly, bumping into trees and each other before falling to the ground.

Cloud slid down the vine and landed next to the astonished Hagrid.

"Where'd ye learn to do that?" Hagrid asked, wide-eyed.

"The Slums," Cloud answered coldly, remembering escaping Sector 7 just before the plate crashed down, and walked away, towards the Forest's exit.

-VII-

The Next Morning…

"You actually knocked out a pair of Night Trolls doing a Tarzan impression?" Ron asked as the group of Gryphendors waited for their Care of Magical Creatures class to begin.

"Who's Tarzan?" asked Cloud, confused.

"You know. Loincloth, swinging from vines, yelling, beating his chest," Ron said as he beat his chest like a gorilla in example.

Cloud just stared at him blankly.

"Don't you know anything?" Ron asked in frustration.

"I know how to break your neck in 12 different places," Cloud joked, baring his teeth in a creepy, almost wolfish smile.

Ron paled and stepped away from Cloud as he and the rest of the group laughed uproariously.

"All right, settle down," calls Hagrid as he steps out of his hut.

"Hagrid! Your face!" shouts Hermione.

Hagrid's face was a bloody pulp of raw scratches and jagged cuts; the largest gash was right above his left eye and was still dripping blood down his face. Large black burns covered his hands and exposed forearms.

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"Well, I was tryin' to get yer lesson ready dis mornin' and I had a bit of difficulty."

"It's not a Skrewt again, is it?" worried Neville.

"No, no," assured Hagrid. "Dis is something a lot more special and rare then the skewits are. But if you want, I can get some skrewts for next time. They're really big now…"

"NO!" the entire class shouted at once. Hagrid looked a little hurt at their enthusiasm, but continued the lesson.

"Anyway, who can tell me what a Fire Lion is?"

As always, Hermione's hand was the first in the air. "A Fire Lion is a magical lion the size of a large wolf. It has dark fur shaded like fire and the tip of its tail is magical and actually burns like real fire. They are very rare, almost extinct."

"Well done, 5 points for Gryffindor. Wizards have damn near hunted dem down to nuthin' to use their tails for potions and garbage like that," Hagrid growled angrily. "Fire Lions are very intelligent; they even have been known to speak. But they are very touchy animals and have fierce tempers. If he doesn't like you, he'll let you know in a hurry. So don't do anything that might set him off. You hear me Malfoy?" Hagrid shouted towards the back where Malfoy and the Slytherins were standing. "If ye piss him off like ye did Buckbean, I'll let him eat ye dis time!" Malfoy twirled a finger in the air, mocking Hagrid. Hagrid ignored him and led the class around his hut towards the large pumpkin patch he kept.

The beast was pulling wildly at the thick leather leash tying him to Hagrid's scarecrow. Its red hide rippled with the powerful muscles and its green eyes flashed with a feral intellect. A dark red mohawk of a mane stood in nearly upright spikes atop his head and the end of his tail burned like firelight.

Cloud and Tifa's hearts skipped a beat.

"It can't be," whispered Tifa.

"Red…" muttered Cloud.

The Fire Lion looked exactly like Nanaki, or Red XIII as he was affectionately referred to by his companions, minus the scars and tattoos.

Hagrid slowly approached the lion with his hands out and open, displaying no threats. The lion's ears flattened back against his head and bared his teeth in a low growl. Hagrid, who had bred creatures much larger and far more hideous, who once tried to raise a dragon in his hut, backed off.

"Dis is a juvenile male Fire Lion," he said after he reached a safe distance away from the lion. "I'd say he's about as old as all of you, well in lion years anyway. Dey age slower than we do."

"Where did you find him?" asked Tifa, still mesmerized by the lion's resemblance to her old friend.

"Der was a small family group livin' in de Forest. Yesterday, one of the mer folk told me that a pair of Night Trolls had entered de Forest and dat de family had been attacked. So, last night I took Cloud out into the forest for detention and we followed the Trolls' trail. The poor bloke's parents were massacred."

"Now," Hagrid clapped his hands excitedly, "we're gonna have a little experiment, sort of like we did with Buckbeak and de hippogriffs. I want you all to slowly approach him and hold out yer hand, palm up and open. Let him get a good sniff. If he growls or pulls back, get away, ok?" The students nodded and collectively stepped back, no one wanting to be first. Harry was quick to step back, remembering how he had been duped into greeting Buckbeak first.

"Come on," encouraged Hagrid. "He's not all bad. Here I'll show you." Hagrid lowered himself onto his hands and knees and crawled towards the Fire Lion. He cooed like a child and held out his hand for the lion to sniff. At first the lion didn't move, he just stared at Hagrid. Then he slowly inched forward and sniffed Hagrid's sausage-like fingers. Hagrid turned his head and smiled at his students.

"See it's easy. No big de…OW!" The lion's sharp teeth wrapped around Hagrid's hand and bit down hard until Hagrid managed to shake him off.

"Feisty bugger," muttered Hagrid, nursing his hand. He smiled at the class. "So who wants to give it a try?"

"You must be stupider than you look," called Malfoy. "Do we look like we want to have our fingers bitten off."

"I'll try," said Cloud as he stepped forward out of the crowd of students.

"Good, good," encouraged Hagrid as they walked away from the class. "Keep yer fingers together or he'll bite em right off," he whispered to Cloud once they were out of the rest of the class' earshot. Cloud smirked and walked towards the lion.

The lion pulled on his leash, straining to get free. He watched Cloud approach and hunkered down, pulling his legs underneath him, ready to pounce.

"Be careful," worried Hermione.

Cloud ignored her. He kept walking forward, his eyes locked with the lions. He reached out, palm held upwards, and the lion tentatively sniffed Cloud's hand. The lion didn't growl or pull away; instead it raised his head higher to let Cloud pet it. Cloud scratched the lion behind the ears and heard a faint purr come from the lion.

Hagrid clapped his giant hands and laughed. "Well done, Cloud. Little bugger barely let me check him for wounds last night and he lets you pet him." Cloud shrugged and walked back towards the class. The lion tugged at his leash violently, trying to follow Cloud.

"Easy der," Hagrid called to him and tossed a piece of meat at the lion. The lion ignored the meat and kept pulling until the thick leather leash snapped and the lion tumbled to the ground. He stood up, shook the dirt and grass from his mane and coat, before trotting over to where Cloud was standing and sat down at his feet.

The class broke out into laughter, Malfoy laughing the hardest.

"Look's like you have a crush, Strife," he sneered. "I'm sure he'll make a lovely boyfriend!" The Slytherin's howled with laughter until Hagrid's giant voice drowned them out.

"QUIET DOWN!" he yelled. The student's laughter died quickly. "Anymore jokes like that and I'll give ya all detention." Hagrid glared down at Malfoy and his cronies in particular. Malfoy stared back fearlessly. Hagrid blinked first and turned back to the rest of the class, trying not to notice Malfoy's triumphant smile.

"It does seem dat the lion has takin' a likin' to ya," Hagrid said to Cloud. "He won't let anyone else near him and he's too young to go off on his own. So you're gonna have to take care of him."

"What?" Cloud burst out.

"Take care of him. He can be yer familiar."

"What I am supposed to do?" asked Cloud.

"Name him of course," said Hagrid cheerfully. "Any ideas?"

Cloud smiled. "Nanaki. His name is Nanaki."

-VII-

Later that day,

The Great Hall was filled with students as they enjoyed their lunch. Sandwiches and soups and salads of all kinds crowded the tables.

Cloud picked idly at his chicken sandwich while his new familiar lay at his feet under the table. The lion had followed him everywhere all morning long.

A frown crossed Cloud's face as he thought about the large animal at his feet. 'How was it possible?' he thought. 'How could there an animal that looks just like Red XIII here? Where the hell has he and Tifa ended up?'

Cloud needed answers and there was only once place for him to find them.

He pushed away his plate and stood up, startling the other Gryffindors.

"Where's Dumbledore's office?" he asked Harry.

"Upstairs behind the gargoyle statues, down the hall from the dancing hippos. Why?"

"I need to talk to the old man about some things," Cloud murmured and stormed off, Nanaki at his heels.

"Wait, we have Potion's class in five minutes!" shouted Hermione. "Professor Snape will be upset if you skip!"

"Screw him!" Cloud shouted back as he left the Great Hall.

-VII-

Cloud stormed up stairwells and down corridors, passing through ghosts and pushing through crowds of students. He followed Harry's directions and quickly reached the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office.

Cloud could see the spiral staircase leading to the office behind the statue and, having no patience for jumbling around with silly passwords, grabbed the base of the statue and lifted the heavy stone off the ground. The stone's immense weight was no match for Cloud's immense strength and he easily held it aloft for Nanaki to pass under. Cloud pushed the statue into the air and slipped under himself. He was already traveling up the escalator like stairs to the office when the statue crashed back down to the ground.

A large oak door with a griffin shaped knocker barred the way at the top of the stairs. Cloud didn't bother to knock and stormed Dumbledore's office.

It was a large and circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with the portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were chatting amongst themselves until Cloud burst in.

Dumbledore sat in a plush leather backed chair behind his enormous claw-footed desk, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Didn't they teach you how to knock in SOLDIER?" he asked.

"That was knocking," Cloud replied. "Usually they just blew things up when they were in the way." He walked up to the desk and looked Dumbledore straight in the eye. "I need answers." Cloud's voice trembled as he barely contained his temper.

"I assume this has something to do with your fiery, four legged friend here," said Dumbledore, gesturing towards Nanaki, who was sitting on his hunches, staring at Dumbledore's phoenix Fawkes, licking his chops.

Dumbledore conjured a chair for Cloud and Cloud reluctantly took it.

"Now," smiled Dumbledore, "ask me your questions and I'll answer whatever I can."

"What have you found out about how Tifa and I got here? How did Voldemort get from here to Gaea in the first place? How is he controlling Sephiroth? What did Wormtail steal out of the vaults? And why is there a magical creature here that looks identical to one of my comrades from my world?" Cloud asked in a loud voce, bombarding Dumbledore with questions. The old wizard waited patiently for Cloud to finish before asking one of his own.

"Sephiroth was being controlled when you fought him in Diagon Alley?"

Cloud nodded. "There was this vacant look in his eyes, like the lights were on but no one was home. Have you found out what was stolen?

"Well, that is interesting knowledge," sighed Dumbledore. "Now, as for your many inquiries, I do not have many answers for you. The Order has been investigating the events that took place during the attack on Diagon Alley and found that two of the vaults the Death Eaters were emptied of large amounts of galleons. The third was basically left alone. The only thing taken was an old heirloom of no magical or commercial value. We suspect it may have been something left over from Voldemort's muggle family. I myself have been looking into your and Tifa's stories about your arrival. So far, we do not know how the two of you arrived, other than your description of white fire."

"Holy," Cloud interrupted. "It was Holy."

"Holy then," smiled Dumbledore. "We know Voldemort was using a very sophisticated portkey system to journey back and forth from our world to your own, or possibly from our time to your time."

"Time travel?" Cloud raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Magic," smiled Dumbledore. "Although we have no evidence or reason to believe that is the case. We know Voldemort has some plan for Sephiroth beyond being a soldier in his army, we just don't know what it is. Is there anything special or unique about Sephiroth you haven't told us about?"

"He hasn't transformed yet or unleashed even a fragment of his absolute power. What you all saw in Diagon Alley was just the tip of the iceberg. If he were instructed to, he could wipe out everything you know. And if he had the Black Materia he could summon METEOR again."

"Meteor?"

"The Great Calamity in the Skies. Basically a giant rock in space crashing down and wounding, if not destroying the planet. But that's impossible without the Black Materia and that's buried under about ten million tons of rock on my world."

Dumbledore placed his wand to his temple and withdrew a slivery thread from his head. Cloud watched in amazement and Dumbledore dipped the thread into a silver basin.

"My apologies," Dumbledore said. "My mind is often too full to organize a single thought. Now then, I'd like to talk about your new familiar before he decides to eat my bird. He is a Fire Lion, a race almost hunted to extinction by…"

"Yeah, yeah. Hagrid already gave us their whole life history in class," interrupted Cloud.

"Good. Then what don't you understand?"

This lion is identical to a friend I traveled with on Gaea. Same body shape, same mane, same tail. The only difference is a few tattoos and this one hasn't started talking!" shouted Cloud. "Now how is that possible?"

"I'm not sure Cloud, but this is most peculiar. I will have Hagrid look more closely into the animal's history. Now shouldn't you be in Potion's class?"

"This was more important," said Cloud. "Besides, I was too keyed up to put up with Snape's crap."

"That is Professor Snape, Cloud," Dumbledore admonished. "And I would prefer if you kept such comments to yourself. Professor Snape is a member of the faculty and a member of the Order of the Phoenix and will be respected as such."

"You let that greasy wimp into the Order? For what, ordering takeout?"

"His position is not of your concern and didn't I just say something about respect?"

"Yeah, sure," Cloud waved Dumbledore off and started for the door.

"How is your friend, Tifa?" asked Dumbledore before Cloud reached the oak door.

"She's doing well, she fits right in. And she's a lot better at your kind of magic than I am."

"Please give her my regards," smiled Dumbledore. "Oh, and Cloud, for next time, the password for my door is chocolate gum drop."

-VII-

Cloud caught up with his friends in their common room later that night.

"Snape gave you another detention for skipping," said Hermione in her 'I-told-you-so voice'. "He took away twenty points too. You need to behave yourself before Gryffindor runs out of points all together."

"Lighten up Hermione," grumbled Cloud as he watched Nanaki play with Mako. Nanaki was lying in front of the fireplace, feinting sleep, his tail twitching this way and that. Mako was stalking the fiery tip, pouncing and swatting at it. Occasionally, Nanaki would jerk his tail out of the way and bop Mako on the head with it. The kitten would stagger away for a second before resuming play and Cloud could have swore he heard Nanaki chuckling under his breath.

The Fire Lion had become an instant favorite in the Gryffindor House; his aggressive behavior towards others had quickly been replaced by a friendly, almost playful manner. He now let any of the Gryffindor's play with him or pet him and was quickly becoming the House mascot.

"Quidditch starts soon. You better stop pissing Snape off if you want to have time to try out," warned Harry, remembering Umbridge's detentions and banning him from playing.

"And you still haven't had a free night to spar with me," reminded Tifa. "You promised."

Cloud smiled. Tifa always had a way of making sure he kept his promises.

"All right, I'll behave if he does. I'll stop provoking him so much," he said.

"Good. Besides, he can't be as bad as the officers at SOLDIER and Shin-ra," said Tifa.

Cloud nodded. Ron opened his mouth to start asking questions, but Tifa quickly stood and announced she was heading for bed. Cloud quickly followed. Nanaki and Mako followed their respected humans, leaving the young witches and wizards alone.

"Those two get weirder all the time," uttered Ron.

"They aren't weird," said Ginny. "They just aren't exactly like us."

"You got that right. Who carries around a sword bigger than most people through Diagon Alley?"

"You know you want one," joked Harry. Ron turned red and shut up.

"Well, I'm worried about them," said Hermione as she gathered up her books and papers. "They're hiding something from everyone." She stood up and, after kissing Ron goodnight and ignoring Harry and Ginny's mocking, went to bed.

"She's up to something, isn't she?" asked Harry to Ron. Ron didn't answer, his eyes staring at Hermione's backside as she walked upstairs. Ginny reached over and smacked him upside his head, knocking him out of his daze.

"What!"

-VII-

Hermione trotted up the stairs, heading for her room when she heard whispering at the top of the stairs. She pressed up against the wall to snoop and carefully listened. Hermione gasped as she recognized the voices.

"What did Dumbledore say?" asked Tifa.

"Not much," replied Cloud. "He said he hadn't learned anything new about how we got here or anything about Sephiroth."

"What about Nanaki and Red? That can't be a coincidence."

"He didn't know anything about that either."

Hermione heard a grunt of frustration come from Tifa.

"This is ridiculous," she said angrily. It's been too long for him not to know anything new."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Storm into his office again, slice his desk in half, and barbeque his pet bird?"

"No, but I'm tired of all this sitting around. I haven't sat around this much since I fell down Mt. Nibel and had to rest in bed. I need some action. And it doesn't help that all this fun stuff keeps happening to you."

"Oh yeah, Snape's detentions are a blast," Cloud said sarcastically.

"At least you got to beat up some trolls and see the centaurs. That's like a trip to the Gold Saucer compared to sitting through classes and listening to Hermione and Ron fight over homework. I'm dying for a workout," whined Tifa.

"Well, Quidditch tryouts are tomorrow. Maybe we can spar or something after that," suggested Cloud.

Hermione didn't hear anything after that. She quickly ran back downstairs and told Ron, Harry, and Ginny everything she heard.

-VII-

The next morning, Cloud woke and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Another nightmare," he muttered softly. "I'm turning into Vincent."

He tossed on his school robes and headed downstairs to the common room, Nanaki at his heels. The common room is empty and Cloud curses himself for sleeping late.

'Gonna miss breakfast,' he worried and ran out of the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and a worried looking Tifa were waiting outside the Great Hall.

"We need to talk," Hermione grumbled at Cloud while the others drew their wands and held them at their sides.

Cloud looked at Tifa. The look in her eyes told him everything.

"I made them wait for you to tell them," she said.

Cloud hung his head and rubbed his spiky hair.

"Can't this wait until after breakfast?"

* * *

Author's Notes:

Sorry I haven't updated this for a long while, but I was wrapped up in my other fics. Don't worry, this fic will continue onward and will only get better as Voldemort begins to escalate the war and we discover the relationship between the Final Fantasy world and the wizarding world.

For my Final Fantasy VII and X fans, please check out my fic The Gunslinger. So far it defiantly kicks ass, if I do say so myself.

Nataku's Wrath


	16. Questions and Quidditch

Disclaimer: Haven't done this for a while. I don't own any part of the Harry Potter series or Final Fantasy VII. If I did, I wouldn't have had the gas turned off in my house last week.

Chapter 16

"Questions and Quidditch"

* * *

"Can't this wait until after breakfast?" asked Cloud, holding his rumbling stomach. 

The glares Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny gave him answered an emphatic no.

Cloud's head slumped down to his chest. "All right lets go," he said and motioned for Hermione to lead the way.

She walked off in front of the group while Harry, Ron, and Ginny marched behind Cloud and Tifa with their wands at the ready. Ron seemed particularly anxious to hex Cloud. He kept jabbing Cloud in the back with the tip of his wand.

"The magic comes out the tip Ron," said an annoyed Cloud. "You don't need to stab me through the back for it to work." Ron growled something Cloud couldn't make out, but backed off.

They marched past a group of second years on their way to breakfast and stomped up the stairs until they reached the seventh floor. They walked down the corridor and stopped in front of a gaudy looking tapestry with a knight being clubbed by a pair of trolls. Cloud watched Hermione walk back and forth three times in front of the wall. After her third pass, a highly polished doorway appeared. She opened the door and the group stepped into a cold stone room with a pair of stools sitting in the center. The room was dark with only a single barred window for light.

"Sit," ordered Harry and Cloud and Tifa took their places on the stools while the four Gryffindors whispered among themselves.

"Hey! I know you four have something on your minds, so can we get a move on here, I'm starving!" complained Cloud as his stomach growled loudly.

"Shut up! They'll feed you plenty when the Aurors take you to Azkaban, you Death Eater sons of bitches!" shouted Ron.

"We're not Death Eaters," said Tifa.

"Don't bother trying to hide it anymore," said Hermione. "I heard you talking last night about Dumbledore and Sephiroth and what you're doing here. You can't fool us anymore."

"It's all your fault my brother got hurt!" shouted Ron angrily. "It was your buddy Sephiroth that killed all those people and cut off his hand!"

Tifa heard Cloud's knuckles crack as he tightened his fists at the accusation, but he managed to control his temper from flying off the stool and knocking Ron's teeth in.

"What evidence do you have?" she asked, stepping off her stool and placing herself in between Ron and Cloud, just in case.

"Let's see, your strange behavior, not knowing even the most basic wizarding customs and traits, that wandless magic you can do with those colorful orbs," accused Hermione. "There's no way you could have beaten those Giants if you weren't in league with them, the set up with Malfoy and 'saving us', Moody's suppositions…"

"Moody's suspicious of everyone," interrupted Cloud. Hermione ignored him and continued.

"You probably used some dark magic to fool the Sorting Hat to get into Gryffindor; you're probably using Professor Snape's detentions to send messages to Voldemort…"

"Ok, ok. We get the picture," Cloud interrupted again. "Basically, we're guilty because of circumstance and a few fundamental differences?"

Ginny huffed in the background. "I've had enough of this," she said, speaking for the first time all morning. "There's one full proof way to see if they are telling the truth or not."

"I didn't have time to make Veritaserum," said Hermione in a disappointed tone.

"The Dark Mark," said Ginny. She turned to Cloud and Tifa. "Voldemort marks all his followers in the arm with his sign, the skull with the snake coming out of the mouth," she explained. "Roll up your sleeves."

Cloud and Tifa complied, rolling up their robe sleeves and exposing Tifa's materia bangle and Cloud's armor.

"Take off the armor," ordered Harry. Tifa slipped off her bangle and Cloud removed his armor.

"Show us your forearms," said Ginny. Cloud and Tifa held out their arms, feeling more than a little ridiculous.

"Nothing," whispered Ginny. She turned to Harry and Ron, beaming brightly. "I told you they weren't Death Eaters. See, no Dark Marks." Harry slowly lowered his wand and nodded his head.

"They must have them hidden them with some dark spell," insisted Hermione.

"Or have them somewhere else on their bodies," agreed Ron. The two aimed their wands at Tifa's face when Cloud jumped off his stool.

"Hold on a second," he said as he replaced his armor and placed his hands on the wand tips. "I'm not sticking around for some half ass full body search. It's too early and I'm too hungry to put up with this." He stood up and walked towards the door, where he could hear Nanaki pawing at the door from the outside. Reaching out and grasping the knob, Cloud turned back to Tifa.

"You can tell them if you want, I don't care," he said and opened the door.

"May I ask why you all missed a delightful breakfast?" smiled Dumbledore from the doorway.

-VII-

Nanaki bounded past Dumbledore and trotted to Tifa's side, sitting down and laying his head on her lap, desiring a good scratching behind his ears. Tifa happily complied.

Dumbledore's presence in the doorway turned Cloud back around and he followed the Headmaster back into the room.

"I see you are still using the Room of Requirement," he said. "Though I have rarely seen it look so dreary before." He waved his arm through the air and the cold stone room changed into a much more cozy and comfortable room with plush chairs, wooden floors, and plenty of light pouring in from clear windows. "Ah, much better," Dumbledore sighed.

"Sir, I think Cloud and Tifa are Death Eaters sent as spies and saboteurs and to go after you and Harry!" cried Hermione. Dumbledore frowned behind his half-moon spectacles.

"These are very serious charges, Miss Granger. I'm sure you have solid evidence to support these charges?"

"Well, not rock solid," muttered Ron.

"I see," said Dumbledore. "Well then, if your accusations are true, Mr. Strife and Miss Lockhart have gone too great pains to convince me of their alternative personas. Have you told them?" he asked.

"No, not yet," replied Tifa, looking up from petting Nanaki.

"Well, don't let me stop you," said Dumbledore as he sat down in a large leather chair and folded his hands on his lap. "It is an excellent story and I would like to hear it once again."

Cloud sighed and, ignoring his grumbling stomach, sat down and began to tell their epic story once again.

-VII-

"That's so sad," whimpered Hermione as Cloud concluded the story, once again leaving out his death and resurrection.

"Still want to throw us in chains and marching us to Azkaban, whatever the hell that is?" he asked them, a dangerous edge creeping into his voice.

"No, no," said Harry, waving his hands in the air. "We're really sorry about all this." He ran his hand through his long hair sheepishly. "It's just that, well, the last couple of years have made us all a little paranoid and untrusting."

"Yeah, sorry bout calling you all those names," said Ron as he stared at his feet.

"I'm so sorry," apologized Hermione, almost begging for forgiveness. "This is all my fault."

"Yep," agreed Tifa with a smile on her face. She stepped forward and laid her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You really screwed this one up. But it was a good effort." Hermione looked up pitifully, but Tifa's smile won her over and she smiled back, feeling slightly less stupid.

"I told you they weren't Death Eaters," Ginny said proudly.

Dumbledore rose slowly out of his chair with a groan. Harry moved to help him, but Dumbledore waved him off.

"No thank you Harry. These old bones are not that old yet," he said with a smile before turning to the whole group. "I'm glad that this has all been sorted out without hexing or slicing one another. You all must trust one another in the battles…"

Cloud's empty stomach rumbled loudly, interrupting Dumbledore's speech.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"That's quite all right. I'm sure you all must be hungry," said Dumbledore and he swished his arm in the air. A table and chairs appeared with piles of hotcakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs.

The group of Gryffindors quickly sat down to eat, all hostility and lack of trust forgotten. Dumbledore smiled and quietly walked towards the door. "Try not to be late for class," he advised.

Cloud nodded; his mouth full of bacon and egg sandwich. The others nodded as well, their mouths also stuffed with food. Even Nanaki was chewing happily on a large link of sausage.

And no one could remember a finer breakfast.

-VII-

Later that afternoon,

Cloud and Tifa walked out to the Quidditch pitch with their brooms in hand, watching Harry, Ginny, and Ron fly across the sky. Harry, being on the fastest broom, was in the lead, followed closely by Ginny. Ginny's Comet 1080 wasn't as fast as Harry's prized Firebolt, but her low weight and lithe body cut through the air like a knife. Ron brought up the rear on his old Cleansweep 7. Fortunately for him, being a keeper didn't require much speed, it relied more on stability and control and the Cleansweep was perfect for it.

Cloud and Tifa watched in awe as the trio swung down from the sky and whipped over head, blowing their hair and clothes into the air.

"Why can't people keep their feet on the ground?" grumbled Cloud.

Tifa laughed. "Oh come on, it'll just be like riding on the Highwind."

"I hated riding in the Highwind, Yuffie and I always got airsick. Just give me a motorcycle and I'm happy."

"Oh shut up you big baby, here they come."

Harry, Ginny, and Ron slowed down and floated gently back down, hovering a few inches off the grass.

"Hey," greeted Harry. "I'm glad you guys came. There's still some time before try-outs if you want to practice a bit."

"Yeah, there's a problem with that," said Cloud grumpily.

"What?" asked Ginny.

"We've never flown before, at least not like this," answered Tifa.

"What do you mean you've never flown before!" exclaimed Ron. "Everyone has…"

Ginny smacked her brother on the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ginny glared at him. "Oh, yeah, right. Sorry," he said turning bright red.

"Don't worry," said Harry, floating up to them. "It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Sort of," replied Cloud, remembering riding Chocobos back home.

"Well, it's kinda like that, except brooms will follow your mental commands as well as physical. I'll give you a quick lesson. Mount your brooms and kick up hard."

Cloud and Tifa straddled their brooms and kicked off the ground and hovered a few feet off the ground.

"Now hold on tight, lean forward, and go," said Harry.

Cloud gripped the broomstick with his gloved hands and his broom took off from underneath him, flying into the air, and dumping Cloud onto the ground. The broom flew upwards without its rider for a few moments before falling back to earth.

Everyone burst out laughing while Cloud nursed his backside and his pride. Cursing, Cloud stormed over to the broom. He grabbed it by the handle and immediately the broom began fight and buck and nearly flew away again. Cloud could hear the others laughing and his temper got the better of him.

"Listen you overgrown stick," he growled at the wriggling broom. He tightened his grip until he could hear the wooden handle began to groan and splinter. "Either you cooperate or I'm going to snap you in half and use you for firewood."

The broom ceased fighting and Cloud flew it back to the others.

"What was that all about?" asked Ginny.

"Conflict of interest," replied Cloud.

Everyone laughed and Harry continued his lesson. Soon Cloud and Tifa were flying high above the ground with the others. Tifa and Ginny took off together, Ginny teaching Tifa how to perform complex and dangerous maneuvers. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were teaching Cloud the finer points of playing Quidditch.

"There's three Chasers who try to throw the Quaffle through the goals, two Beaters that use the Bludgers to knock off other players and protect our own, one Keeper who guards the goals, and one Seeker that goes after the Snitch." Harry held up the golden, walnut sized Snitch and tiny wings began to flutter like a humming bird. He let the Snitch go and snatched it back out of the air like lightning. He laughed. "But that's my job, I'm the Gryffindor seeker. Ron is our Keeper, and Ginny is one of our chasers. We need two more chasers and a whole new set of beaters to replace the twins."

"Tell me about the beaters," Cloud smiled and cracked his knuckles.

-VII-

Soon, other students began to flock out to the Quidditch pitch, either to try out or just to watch. Hermione, who never had much luck or skill with a broom, cheered her friends on from the bleachers as Harry began the try-outs.

Harry started with a basic flying drill, getting all the applicants to break into groups and fly around the pitch. It was a good call; the first group was a bunch of giggling first and second year girls who were only there to meet Harry and Cloud. The second group wasn't much better. One boy only managed to stay in the air for a few seconds before he crashed into one of the goal posts.

After a few false starts and mid-air collisions, Harry divided the try-outs by positions. The Chasers were up first, playing three on three while the Keeper applicants rotated in goal. Most of the teams were pretty good, but only one was spectacular. The team of Ginny, Tifa, and veteran Katie Bell dominated every game. Tifa was a natural chaser and her coordination and teamwork with Ginny was incredible. Combined with Katie's leadership and experience, the easily beat all the Keepers. Ron was the only one to save any goals; stopping five out of eight while all the other Keepers stopped only three or less. After everyone had tried out, Harry announced that Ginny, Katie, and Tifa would be this years Chasers, with Ron as the team Keeper.

After the Chasers and Keepers were done, Harry marched, or flew, the Beaters out onto the pitch. There were only four of them: Cloud, Colin Creevey, a third year girl from Ravenclaw that just stared dreamily at Cloud until Harry through her out, and a chubby fourth year with a bad case of acne named Philip Tompkins.

"Alright, grab your beaters and let's see what you got," said Harry as he prepared to release the Bludgers. Colin handed Cloud a small bat. Cloud turned the bat over in his hand with disgust.

"Where's the rest of it?" he wondered out loud. Philip and Colin looked at Cloud like he just sprouted a third arm out his backside.

Harry unleashed the Bludgers and they sped away like runaway cannonballs. The Bludgers whizzed through the air before turning and racing back towards Colin, Philip, and Cloud. Cloud and Colin tucked under the first pass, but Philip took a wild swing at one of the Bludgers as it passed. The Bludger dipped under his bat and glanced off Philip's thigh, unseating him and sending him sprawling to the ground.

The Bludgers came around again and this time Cloud and Colin stood their ground. Colin's swing didn't have much muscle behind it, but it connected well and knocked the Bludger back into the sky. Colin was so happy that he hit it that he didn't notice the other Bludger racing at him until it hit the front of his broom. He spun out of control and crashed into the ground, spraying dirt and grass into the air.

Cloud hovered in the air as the two Bludgers returned and began to circle him like a pack of hungry sharks. Cloud tucked his bat into his robes, grabbed on to his broom and took off away from the field, heading towards the lake. The two Bludgers followed closely behind and flashed past the weaving Cloud. They circled back around and tried to smash into Cloud's broom, but Cloud managed to dodge at the last second.

'Just like riding a motorcycle,' he thought as he dove towards the lake.

Back on the Quidditch pitch, try-outs had stopped as everyone watched Cloud battle the Bludgers.

Cloud skimmed over the surface of the lake, his robe tail grazing the surface, creating a path of ripples. The Bludgers crashed into the water around him, sending geysers of water into the air again and again.

Cloud pushed his wet hair out of his eyes and ducked as the two Bludgers sped past him again. The Bludgers were relentless and were starting to piss him off.

"Screw this," he muttered and pulled his bat and wand out of his robes. He aimed his wand at the pathetically small bat and shouted "Engorgio!" The bat grew from being a small club to the incredible size of the Buster Sword. Cloud gave the enormous bat a familiar swing and held it loosely on his shoulder, waiting for the Bludgers to attack again. He didn't have to wait long…

One of the Bludgers flew in like a bullet, aimed right from Cloud's face. Cloud met it with a powerful swing of his bat; striking the Bludger and sending it back to toward the Quidditch pitch. The Bludger crashed into the grass like a meteor, gouging a long trench into the field.

Cloud smiled at his handy work when he heard Hermione scream. He turned around just in time for the second Bludger to slam into his head. The Bludger struck him right above his left eye, gashing open Cloud's face. He rocked back on his broom, nearly losing his grip on the handle. His massive bat fell to the ground, leaving him defenseless. Blood trickled down his face as the Bludger circled back around.

Tifa, Ginny, and Harry sped to Cloud's aid, but the Bludger was faster. It was already hurtling back towards Cloud.

Dazed by the sudden blow to the face, Cloud steadied himself on his broom and gingerly touched the cut above his eye. Suddenly, new pain blossomed, not on his head, but in his left arm. The muscles began to violently twitch and spasm and it felt like fire had replaced the blood in his veins. He growled in pain and grabbed onto his arm with his other hand, holding onto the broom with just his legs.

Fierce rage replaced pain as Cloud saw the Bludger approach for another attack. He turned on his broomstick and watched the incoming Bludger come closer and closer with lethal speed. Cloud's glowing blue eyes flashed bright green as he lashed out and caught the speeding Bludger. Cloud palmed the writhing cannonball and tightened his grasp. Cracks appeared on the Bludger's surface and Cloud squeezed harder and harder.

Tifa, Ginny, and Harry arrived at the scene, unable to understand what they were seeing. Cloud's face was a mask of ferocity, his green eyes blazing with hate and rage. His teeth were bared in some feral growl. Harry and Ginny had never seen anything like it, but Tifa had. That face was so familiar, so terrible. It reminded her of the way Cloud looked when Sephiroth was controlling him and it chilled her to the bone.

"CLOUD!" she screamed as she flew towards him. Her voice snapped through Cloud's mind like a whip and his eyes faded back to their icy blue. The pain in his arm slowly dissipated and his rage left him. Slowly, he began to realize what had happened and let go off the unmoving Bludger. The dead weight plummeted to the ground and sank into the lake. He slumped in his seat, with an exhausted and confused look on his face.

Tifa, Harry, and Ginny quickly flew to his side.

"Are you alright?" asked Harry. Cloud nodded, the cut on his head had already stopped bleeding and was starting to heal.

"What happened?" asked Ginny. "You crushed that Bludger with your bare hand!"

"It's nothing," Cloud said quickly before turning to a worried looking Tifa. "Nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing," she whispered. Cloud shook his head and slowly floated back towards the Quidditch field. Everyone there for the try-out began to cheer for him as he approached. Cloud smiled weakly at them before ducking into the locker room.

"What was that all about?" asked Ron when Harry, Ginny, and Tifa flew back down. "We couldn't see what happened with that second Bludger from down here."

"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "He stopped it with a spell after he lost his bat."

"Oh," said Ron disappointed. "We thought it looked cooler than that from down here."

-VII-

Cloud turned off the piping hot shower and wrapped a towel around him before walking back towards the Gryffindor locker room. The burning hot shower had helped ease the pain in his left arm, particularly his shoulder, but a dull ache remained. He slowly rotated and stretched the joints in his arms as he walked towards his locker.

"Feel better?" asked Tifa.

Cloud spun around, clutching the towel around his waist a little higher to cover up the scar where Sephiroth killed him. Tifa didn't notice. She was too far away, standing in the locker room doorway, to see.

"Can't a guy get any privacy in this school?" he grumbled before hiding behind his locker door to change.

"Not when he crushes a cannonball with his bare hand and then lies when he's asked if something's wrong," Tifa called out.

"Nothing's wrong," Cloud said. "Thing just pissed me off."

"Cloud, I've been studying martial arts for years and can punch holes in solid steel, but not even I could have crushed that Bludger like you did. Not with just one hand."

"So what?" said Cloud. "I've always been stronger than you. I was stronger than everybody."

"Is that so? Then why did you always lose to me in arm wrestling?" laughed Tifa.

"Didn't want you to feel bad," answered Cloud as he pulled down his shirt. Now that he was clothed, Tifa slowly approached him and laid a hand on his aching shoulder. Cloud did his best not to grimace.

"Cloud, I know you better than anyone," she said. "I can tell when something's not right with you. Today…" she stopped, hesitant to say the words. "Today you looked like you did back at the North Crater, when you handed him the Black Materia." Tifa was careful not to mention Sephiroth's name, knowing it would upset Cloud more.

"I can't be controlled anymore," Cloud answered softly. "You took care of that in Mideel, in the Lifestream."

"I know, but what if there's something wrong now that we're here and not at home?" worried Tifa. "What if something's different?"

"Nothing's different," answered Cloud, moving away from her. "I gotta go. I'm already late for another detention with Snape. Can't get anymore now that I'm an official Beater for the Quidditch team."

"Ok," said Tifa sadly. She watched him leave, unable to get the image of his eyes out of her head.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Starting next chapter, I'm going to start getting in the habit of replying to my reviewers, either through email if you provide your penname to the review or after each chapter if you do it anonymously.For this one I'll just hit everyone right now.

Reviewer Shout-Outs!

Prozacfairy: Sorry about the long absence. In a way, I did forget about this story. I was just to focused on school and my other fic, "The Gunslinger." But now that I have all A's and B's in school (ok, I have one C too) and I'm not working as much, I'm going to try and post a new chapter every 2 weeks or so, alternating with "The Gunslinger." Glad you liked Nanaki, he is adorable isn't he? Hope you liked my conclusion to Hermione's jumping to conclusions and look forward to hearing from you again.

Thunderstorm101: It's great to know that someone enjoys both of my Final Fantasy crossovers so much. I hope you keep on reading both and keep on sending me these great reviews. The really good stuff is coming up shortly in this fic and something huge is about to happen in "The Gunslinger." Enjoy.

JML: I sort of planned Cloud having Nanaki as a familiar all along. Like I said in an earlier chapter, Cloud just isn't a owl, toad, or cat kind of guy. He needs a big, flaming, wolf-lion hybrid that kicks as much ass as he does. The scene where Nanaki plays with Mako just seemed like fun and it was amusing to write. And I don't think there really are any "normal" wizarding animals. Hedwig is pretty special for an owl and you can't say that Crookshanks is normal in any way. Hope you liked this chapter.

Lachwan: Thanks for the review. Good, short, and to the point.

paintball-gamer: I'm glad you enjoy this story, as well as my others, so much. I got tried of reading so many fanfics where Malfoy redeems himself and suddenly becomes friends with harry and the gang. so i decided to make him nasty and let Cloud and Tifa knock him back down whenever he got out of line. I hope you liked the Gryffindor's reaction to Cloud and Tifa's story and as for everyone's favorite One-Winged-Angel, there will be plenty of Sephiroth in the next chapter. I don't know about Cloud teaching Nanaki about Materia, I didn't plan on making Nanaki quite as smart as Red XIII was. I;m going to have to think about that. As far as Snape and Nanaki are concerned there will definatly be some interaction between the two, I just haven't figured out what yet. Hope you enjoy this chapter and that you look out for my next updates.

Funkless: I'm very glad for the MEGA review you sent me and I hope to recieve many, many more helpful comments and critques. I haven't decided fully on what I'm gong to do about the Horcruzes. Right now I'm leaning towards not using them for this fic. Hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to be such a positive help for me. Thank you very much.

Scottua: I've noticed that there aren't many fics where Harry goes somewhere else. I think this is because it is so much easier to adapt the wizarding world than it is to use another world. Like in the FMA world, it would be hard to explain how Harry could do magic where the laws of equivelent exchange rule over all. One good fic where Harry goes somewhere else is called "Defying fate: Journey of the Offworlder" by Doom187. Check it out its really good. Glad you enjoy my fic as well, I hope you keep on reading in the future.


	17. The Great Escape

Chapter XVII

"The Great Escape"

"_Cruico!"_

Avery screamed in pain as Voldemort's spell assaulted his weakened body.

"Please Master!" he screamed. "Forgive me! I was only doing what I thought was right!"

Voldemort didn't reply. Instead he moved his wand towards the black eye patch Avery had worn since the attack on Diagon Alley. The Cruciatus Curse moved with the wand and Avery's screams doubled in volume as the curse poured through the empty eye socket and directly into his mind.

Voldemort's wand lingered there for a moment before he lowered it as Wormtail and Bellatrix entered his chambers.

"Wormtail," he hissed. "Take this cretin back to the dungeons. Perhaps there he will learn that Harry Potter is mine alone to kill."

Wormtail flicked his wand at Avery's twitching, stuttering body and levitated him out of the room, leaving Bellatrix and Voldemort alone.

Bellatrix slowly approached her lord and master and gently wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his pale lips.

"We are ready, my lord," she whispered heavily in between kisses.

"Very good, my dear," he replied, his cold voice sending lustful shivers up her spine.

Bellatrix had long been consort to the Dark Lord, long before his apparent death. She was one who continued to carry on his will after the "Potter Incident" and had been thrown away in Azkaban for it. She didn't renounce the dark ways like many of the others did. Her love and lust for the Dark Lord was only matched by her insanity and will to carry out her lord's wishes. Her sexual exploits were quickly becoming as legendary as her tortures.

Voldemort felt her press closer to him, her intentions obvious. But the Dark Lord knew there was a time and a place for such things. He pushed her away and walked over to a brewing potion.

"Go," he ordered. Bellatrix pouted briefly before turning and heading for the door. As she opened it, Voldemort called after her and walked to the door.

"Take the puppet's medallion from Wormtail before you go. He'll be most useful."

The Dark couple shared another passionate and perverse hiss before Bellatrix left to do her lord's bidding.

-VII-

Sephiroth was sitting lotus style, bare-chested, in his stone cell, silent and unmoving, when Wormtail unlocked his cell.

"Wake up Snow White," mocked Wormtail as he entered the cell. Sephiroth's green eyes opened, casting an eerie glow around the cold stone cell. "Eat and let's go," ordered Wormtail. He tossed a lump of stale bread onto the ground. Sephiroth chewed the rock hard bread quickly and quietly. He rose and stepped towards Wormtail.

"You idiot," Wormtail complained. "Go back and get your bloody sword and put on your armor." Sephiroth turned silently and retrieved his sword and armor. He strapped it all on with practiced ease and returned to Wormtail's side.

"Alright, let's go," ordered Wormtail and he led Sephiroth up out of the dungeons. Bellatrix was waiting at the top of the staircase, twirling her black wand in between her fingers.

"The Master commands you to give me control of the puppet," she sneered. Wormtail cringed in jealousy. Bellatrix; with her hourglass figure, lustful habits, and other sadistic pleasures; had replaced him at the Dark Lord's side.

'I'm the one who found him and took care of him,' he thought, almost whimpering. 'I milked that damn snake of his to feed him when he could barely life his head. It was my hand that resurrected him while she was still rotting away in Azkaban.'

"Come on Wormtail. I don't have all night," she complained. Her face darkened in the dim firelight of the staircase. "Give me the medallion now, or am I going to have to take it from you?"

Wormtail shrunk away for a moment before reaching his silvery hand into his robes and grabbed the glowing medallion.

'All I would have to do is say the word and Sephiroth would tear her apart,' he conspired. Wormtail opened his mouth to speak when Bellatrix's wand shot forward in between Wormtail's beady eyes, its tip glowing pale green.

"Don't even think about it," she growled at the shorter, hunched over man. "You'll be dead before you finish the sentence."

Wormtail's eyes narrowed in defiance as he fished the medallion out of his robes and handed it over.

"Thanks Ratty," she said cheerfully and bent over to rub the ever growing bald spot on the top of Wormtail's head. He turned away roughly and stormed back down into the dungeons.

"Stupid little man," muttered Bellatrix as she watched him retreat. She turned back to Sephiroth and looked over his angular, handsome features.

"Hmm, you're a pretty one," she said in a low, husky voice. She stepped closer until she was toe-to-toe with Sephiroth. He stood over a head taller than her and remained motionless as she ran her long fingernails over his body.

"Ooh," she purred as she felt the taunt muscles of his chest and arms. "Maybe when we get back, I can put this medallion to some real work." She cooed as her hands worked further and further downward, over his abs and groin.

She rose up on her tip toes and fiercely kissed Sephiroth's unmoving lips. Her tongue snaked past his lips and invaded his mouth. After a wet moment, Bellatrix came up for air and separated herself from Sephiroth.

"You're a pretty good kisser," she smiled wickedly. "Especially for a zombie." She started towards the door out of the dungeons. "Come on now, playtime will have to wait. I've got some old friends to kill." She opened the door and stepped out onto the corridor to meet the rest of the Death Eaters.

Sephiroth remained for a moment, alone on the dimly lit staircase. Then slowly, deliberately, he raised his gloved hand and sleeve and wiped Bellatrix's spit and slobber off his mouth. His face remained passive and emotionless, but a spark of disgust and hatred flared behind his glowing green eyes.

-VII-

A concussion of pops echoed across the sea as four Death Eaters, dressed in black robes and skull masks, appeared on a large rock jutting out of the black water. A derelict castle stood wavering on top of the rock.

Another pop announced the arrival of Bellatrix Lestrange, unmasked in her dark robes. The glowing medallion hung proudly around her slender neck. Sephiroth stood behind her, his gloved hand on her shoulder for the Side-Along Apparation.

"Ah, Azkaban," smiled Bellatrix cheerfully, taking a deep breath of the rant air. "Home Sweet Hell," she growls, her demeanor changing drastically. Her eyes darkened and her full lips twisted into a feral snarl. She turned to her fellow Death Eaters and drew her wand. One of the masked Death Eaters cringed and cowered away from the wild look in her eyes.

"Several of our dark brothers and sisters are still being held there," Bellatrix said, pointing her wand at the ancient and collapsing castle. "The Dark Lord has ordered our comrades freed and that godforsaken castle destroyed down to the very last brick and stone." Bellatrix's voice dripped with acidic venom. "We go to raze Azkaban to the ground!"

"What about the Dementors?" asked one of the younger, masked Death Eaters.

"They are our allies now," answered Bellatrix. "They left these shores after the assault on the Department of Mysteries. Only foolish men guard the walls of Azkaban now."

"But how are we supposed to get there?" the young Death Eater asked again. "The Anti-Apparation wards are still up."

Bellatrix sneered viciously. "Do you not think the Dark Lord knows this? That in all his wisdom he has not planned for this?" The young Death Eater lowered his head in shame at her words.

"The Dark Lord was lent us one of his greatest tools to aid us in the destruction," she continued, gesturing towards Sephiroth.

-VII-

Nigel Lupberger was cold and tired. He had been patrolling the outer walls of Azkaban fall night without a break.

"I'm getting too old for this shit," he grumbled as he leaned against the castle battlements. Ever since the Dementors turned on the wizards and joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the Ministry of Magic had been forced to send older Aurors to guard Azkaban. The best, younger Aurors were needed in the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his dark army. Many of the older Aurors, though more experienced, just didn't have it in them anymore to fight Death Eaters and evil monsters. But they were still young enough for guard duty.

Guarding the captured Death Eaters had gotten a lot harder without the Dementors to keep them placated. Many had been driven insane by the Dementor's happiness draining powers and continuously lashed out at the guards in madness. Even worse were their screams. Day and night, the mad ones screamed like terrified babies. It kept Nigel up at night.

But the newest captives, the Death Eaters caught in the Dept. of Mysteries attack, were the worst. They had never been affected by the Dementors and were still very dangerous, even with out their wands. Several guards had been attacked and one was killed by the newest prisoners.

Nigel sat down and rubbed his sore feet as a gust of wind blew overhead. He shivered and pulled his cloak closer around him.

"That cloak won't keep you warm tonight," a voice called from behind him.

"Yeah, it's pretty old," Nigel replied. "But since you're finally here to relieve me, I'm gonna go curl up in front of the fire with a bottle of Firewhiskey."

"No, you won't."

"Huh?" Nigel turned around and stared into the skull mask of a Death Eater. "Merlin's ghost…"

"Avada kedavra," whispered the Death Eater. Green lightning flashed and the light faded from Nigel's eyes.

-VII-

Bellatrix landed gracefully on the battlements as Sephiroth hovered overhead, having flown each of the Death Eaters to the island prison. She motioned for him to come down and he silently obeyed, landing beside her.

"Good boy," she whispered. Sephiroth's jaw tightened in disgust, but Bellatrix didn't notice. She was too busy staring out over the ancient castle. She turned back to the Death Eaters and smiled evilly.

"Kill every guard in this hole," she growled. "Ignore the prisoners until all the guards have been dealt with." The Death Eaters quickly turned and raced into the castle.

"And leave the warden for me!" Bellatrix shouted after them.

-VII-

Sephiroth stalked down the dark, naked corridors after Azkaban's warden like a cat pursuing a mouse. The warden half ran/half-stumbled through the prison, continuously looking over his shoulder as Sephiroth followed. He could hear screams echoing through the castle prison. They weren't the usual crazies screaming; they were from his men, the guards. They were screams of pain. Of death…

The warden kept running blindly ahead until he ran himself into a dead end. Desperately, he clawed at the cold stone for a way out. He heard Sephiroth stop and spun around to face him.

"You're the one who attacked Gringrotts, aren't you?" asked the warden. Sephiroth didn't answer, or even move. He simply stood in the middle of the corridor, blocking the warden's only way of escape.

"You're the one who killed Kingsley, I know it," the warden stammered, terrified. He heard stories about that day, fantastic stories. Stories that he didn't think could possibly be true…until now.

"What do you want?" he asked as he fell to his knees, begging for his life. "I'll tell you anything." Another scream cut through the air, further weakening the warden's resolve.

"What do you need? Answer me please!" shouted the warden. "I don't want to die…"

A high-pitched laugh cut above the screams and the warden's groveling and Bellatrix steps out of the shadows behind Sephiroth.

"AH-HA-HA-HA!" the witch cackled madly. She smirked that the warden and clapped her hands. "Bravo," she applauded sarcastically. "Bravo. I've heard some really good begging in my time, but you have a real talent for it."

"Bellatrix Lestrange," growled the warden. He inched off his knees and crept away from the wall, glaring at Bellatrix. "You little slut."

"You were the one on your knees," snickered Bellatrix. "You were always so tough behind your Aurors and Dementors. But now I can see you as you really are; a sniveling coward."

"Bitch!" shouted the warden. He quickly pulled his wand out of his robes and aimed it at Bellatrix's face. "REDUCTO!"

A blast of energy sprang from the wand and sped towards Bellatrix. She shrieked and quickly tried to draw her wand, but the warden's spell was too fast. Bellatrix waited for the blast of energy to turn her face into a crater when Sephiroth sidestepped in front of her. The spell raced towards him and he raised his hand calmly and swatted the spell away like an annoying fly. The spell crashed into the wall and blasted a hole in the castle.

"H-how…" muttered the warden. "That's…that's not possible…"

Bellatrix caught her breath and stared at Sephiroth. 'The Dark Lord said he was special, but I never thought he was this special,' she thought in astonishment. She quickly hid her amazement and turned back toward the warden, her face growing dark and cold once more.

"Now that was interesting wasn't it?" quipped Bellatrix as she pulled her wand out of her robes and aimed it at the warden's head. "Where is he?"

"Where's who?" asked the warden innocently, still shocked and terrified by Sephiroth's causal display of power.

"_Crucio_!" snarled Bellatrix and the warden squealed in pain. She held the spell for several moments, drinking in his screams like a fine wine, her body grinding with the sadistic pleasure of torturing the warden.

Eventually she stopped and lowered her wand. "That was tasty," she muttered.

The warden moaned in pain and slowly began to crawl away, whimpering with each movement. Bellatrix watched him go for a second before turning to Sephiroth.

"Stop him," she ordered. With a blur of black leather he sprung on the warden, grabbing him by the collar with one hand and throwing him back onto the wall. The warden cried out in pain and tried to stumble away again.

"Pin him to the wall," ordered Bellatrix. Sephiroth stood back and drew his long, slender sword from its black sheath. The warden paled at the sight of the blade and summoned all his remaining courage and strength and tried to run. But Sephiroth was far too fast. With a flick of his arm, the sword pierced through the warden's soft stomach and buried itself into the stone wall. Blood trickled out of the wound and dripped onto the floor.

"Are you feeling cooperative yet?" asked Bellatrix as she walked up next to the warden. He groaned and tried to raise his wand, but Bellatrix reached over and plucked it out of his hand. "You won't need this anymore," whispered Bellatrix. She tossed the wand onto the bloody floor and pointed her wand underneath the warden's chin.

"Where is he?" asked Bellatrix again.

"Go to hell," gasped the warden.

"Wrong answer," growled Bellatrix and raised her wand again. "Crucio!"

The warden screamed as the curse lit his nerves on fire, centering around the sword lodged in his belly; he nearly blacked out from the intense pain.

Bellatrix relished every moment of the warden's pain; dragging out the torture. She lifted the curse and held the warden's chin in her hands.

"Now, you're going to tell me where he is, or things are going to get messy."

-VII-

In the end, it did get very messy, but that was just the way Bellatrix liked it. As she walked down into the inky depths of Azkaban she smiled. The warden told her everything she wanted to know and then some. She knew exactly where he was.

-VII-

Lucius Malfoy was sitting in the coldest, darkest, tiniest cell in the furthest depths of Azkaban. He was originally imprisoned in the main wing with the rest of the captured Death Eaters, but without the Dementors to keep him placated and powerless, Lucius was able to fight and even kill one of his captors with his own style of wandless magic. Very few people can cast Unforgivable Curses without a wand; the Dark Lord had taught Lucius how himself.

He could hear the screams and distant explosions from his minuscule cell and wasn't surprised when Bellatrix's face appeared behind the bars of his door.

"Are you going to behave if I let you out?" she asked from behind the magical door.

"Not if you don't open that door soon, Lestrange," growled Lucius impatiently. "I hope you took the key from the warden."

"He had it? Probably should have searched him before I tortured him and incinerated him," said Bellatrix.

"You stupid, stupid skank!" shouted Lucius. "I can't believe you could be so foolish. I always wondered what the Dark Lord saw in you!"

"Insanity, a scintillating wit, and the best body magic can create," replied Bellatrix sarcastically. "Keep your pants on pretty boy. I brought a lock pick," announced before disappearing from the doorway.

"A lock pick? The door is solid mithril with more enchantments than any of the vaults in Gringrotts!" shouted Lucius. "I don't think one of your little Bobbi pins is going to get me out…"

A shower of sparks interrupted Lucius' rant as a silvery sword pierced through the door. Lucius scrambled back to the corner as the sword dissected the door. The sword made quick work of the magical door and the remains crashed onto the floor in a cloud of dust.

Lucius waved his hand in front of his face to clear the dust as a tall shadow filled the doorway. The dust settled and Sephiroth stepped into the cell.

Lucius gasped as his mirror image stepped into his cell. The man had the same lean body and handsome face as he did. He was taller than Lucius, but had the same long silvery hair.

"HaHa," laughed Bellatrix as she stepped around Sephiroth and approached Lucius. "What's the matter, Lucius? See something you like?" she laughed.

"W-who is that?" stammered Lucius.

"The Dark Lord's newest toy," answered Bellatrix. "Allow me to introduce the great Sephiroth, the most powerful warrior in existence. Perhaps you heard about the attack on Gringrotts?" Lucius nodded. "He made it all possible. He took out an entire troop of Aurors single-handedly and without using magic."

"Without magic? That's impossible."

"Not for this zombie it isn't," Bellatrix said proudly.

"Zombie?"

"There were some problems when the Master first acquired Sephiroth. He needed a way to keep him controlled and the Imperius Curse was ineffective against him. But I'm sure you'll want to ask the Dark Lord himself when we return. Right after you see your darling wife of course."

Lucius smirked and followed Bellatrix out of his cell and through Azkaban, Sephiroth trailing behind. Lucius smiled at the carnage, at the dead bodies littered throughout the prison.

"They got what they deserved," he muttered with a snarl on his lips. "Mudbloods, all of them. Not a drop of pureblood in the lot of them."

"You're still hung up on the damn pureblood thing?" questioned Bellatrix.

"It's all that matters," replied Lucius. "It's the only thing."

Bellatrix opened her mouth to say something else when one of the younger Death Eaters approached. He slid off his hood and mask before bowing to two of the Dark Lord's most prestigious Death Eaters.

"The Apparation Wards are down, Ms. Lestrange," he said humbly. "You can leave at any time."

"And what of the other prisoners," said Bellatrix.

"Many of the able have already apparated back to headquarters," the Death Eater stated. "But many of the older prisoners are quite mad from exposure to the Dementors and had to remain in their cells. They won't let anyone near them."

"The Dark Lord mentioned this may have happened. His orders are to kill any and all prisoners unable to aid his cause."

"But…"

"Are you questioning the Dark Lord's orders?" Bellatrix growled, her face darkening and her hand creeping towards her wand. "Perhaps you should discuss it with him when we return?"

"N-N-No…" stammered the young Death Eater. "It will be done."

"Good boy," glared Bellatrix. The Death Eater bowed deeply to Bellatrix and then to Lucius. Bellatrix retuned the bow, though not nearly as deep as the young Death Eaters, while Lucius simply nodded at the Death Eater and turned away. The Death Eater bowed again and tore off down the corridor.

"Since when have Mudbloods become Death Eaters?" Lucius asked in distain as he watched the young Death Eater run off.

"I don't suppose you heard, being locked up and all, but we're at war, Lucius," said Bellatrix. "The Dark Lord has opened his arms to all who share in his vision."

"Even the undesirables?"

"He sent me to come back after you didn't he?" answered Bellatrix smartly.

Lucius glared at her before turning away. Muttering under his breath, he apparated away in a huff.

Bellatrix laughed. "You always were too full of yourself for your own good Lucius." She turned to Sephiroth and nodded her head at him. "Come on big boy," she called. "Let's go have some fun," she smiled lustfully and grabbed onto Sephiroth's hand.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, she apparated away, leaving the smoldering ruins of Azkaban behind.

-VII-

"Ah, welcome back my old pupil and friend," greeted Lord Voldemort as Lucius entered his throne room, followed closely behind by Bellatrix and Sephiroth.

The throne room was massive, much like the Great Hall in Hogwarts. Silver tiles lined the floor, while giant green and black banners hung from exposed rafters. A single, serpent etched throne stood alone on a raised dais. Lord Voldemort sat upon his dark throne and watched as his followers approached.

"It's good to be back in your service, my lord," replied Lucius, falling to one knee in the presence of the Dark Lord. Voldemort motioned him up and Lucius rose and stood at attention before his master.

"My Lord, I wish to apologize for failing you in the Dept. of Mysteries," Lucius said nervously, fearing the Dark Lord's wrath. "I nearly had the prophecy in my gasp…"

"Calm, calm yourself Lucius. While I haven't forgotten your failure in the Dept. of Mysteries, your stay in Azkaban was enough punishment. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, my Lord. It was terrible…"

"Crucio!" Voldemort shouted as he thrust his wand forward at Lucius. Malfoy screamed in sudden, intense pain.

"Failure is not to be tolerated," hissed Voldemort. "EVER!" he roared. He lowered his wand and sat back down on his lavish throne. Lucius fell to the cold stone floor, his robes smoldering from the Dark Lord's power.

"F-forgive me my lord," pleaded Lucius.

"Stop your whimpering Lucius," mumbled the bored Voldemort. "Wormtail!" The craven wizard appeared from behind the throne. "Remove this worm from my sight," Voldemort ordered. "And remind him that the only reason he is not rotting away in Azkaban is because I need his services."

Wormtail nodded and led Lucius out of the throne room. Voldemort turned back towards Bellatrix and Sephiroth.

"And how did my puppet perform, my dear?" he asked.

"Like a dream, my lord," replied Bellatrix. "I look forward to…" she paused for a moment to search for the right word. "I look forward to working with him again."

Voldemort stared into her eyes for a moment, looking over her surface thoughts. Bellatrix immediately buried her dirty thoughts about Sephiroth into the deepest depths of her mind. At the same time, she erected her strongest mental barriers to block her master's mind.

It was an old game between the two. Voldemort had taught her Occlumency as soon as she escaped from Azkaban and rejoined him. He enjoyed testing her abilities and often tried invading her mind whenever he thought she may not have been paying attention.

This time, Bellatrix got her shields up in time and managed to barely block out Voldemort's mental attack.

"You're getting better," hissed Voldemort as he ceased his assault. "I'm glad the puppet performed so well, taking orders from you as well as Wormtail and myself. It shows that I performed the Dementor's Kiss spell properly."

"You had doubts my lord?"

"One always tests his weapons before using them in battle," Voldemort answered. "I wouldn't want something with the spell to go wrong. Not when he is so crucial to the next part of my plan."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I wanted to do this chapter a while ago; I just never had a chance to insert it before. I felt that the events in Hogwarts were a bit more important at the time than this.

Hope everyone liked my Bellatrix and Sephiroth ass-kicking in Azkaban. Bellatrix has somewhat changed in my mind's eye. In the book I always thought of her as a crone, some nasty wart ridden witch. But now that they have cast Helena Bonham Carter as her in the newest movie, my view of Bellatrix has changed from being a nasty witch to being a bit of a seductive witch. She may come off as a bit of a whore in the fic, but I wanted to show her insanity not just in her sadistic tortures, but in her other habits as well.

I like having a Volde/Bella pairing. I think it adds some depth to Voldemort's character and creates an outlet for some of my more creative ideas.

I know this is where I usually do reviewer shout-outs. But it's 2:30 am and I'm really beat, so I'll just get to all my reviewers later on. Just leave your emails or pennames for me and I'll email you all back after my finals are done.

Enjoy,

Nataku's Wrath


	18. Hogsmeade, Halloween, and Horrors

Chapter XVIII

"Hogsmeade, Halloween, and Horrors"

Cloud hobbled into the Great Hall; his robes in tattered shreds, his face and exposed skin covered with cuts and very colorful purple and orange bruises. His left arm was wrapped in gauze and hung limply from a sling. He clutched his left side with his good arm, wincing as he breathed in and out. Nanaki padded along beside Cloud, keeping close watch on his wounded master.

The entire Great Hall gasped at Cloud's condition; several of his female admirers grew teary eyed at his injured and haggard state, fighting off the urge to rush to his side and nurse him back to health (an act that Cloud would have associated with something worse than death). Cloud limped heavily towards the Gryffindor table, shooing off Madam Pomfrey as she ran down from the staff table to doctor him.

"Mr Strife! You will return to the hospital wing at once!" she admonished him in front of the entire Great Hall. Cloud blushed in embarrassment as the room erupted into laughter, the Slytherin table laughing the hardest.

"I told you I'm fine," Cloud said in a hushed voice to the school nurse, pulling away from the grip she had on his uninjured arm. She opened her mouth to protest again, but Nanaki stepped in between them and gave the nurse a low growl. Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened and she quickly looked at Cloud for him to do something. Instead he just shrugged his good shoulder at her and walked off towards the Gryffindor table. Unfortunately, Cloud and Nanaki had to pass by the Slytherin table along the way.

"Hey cutie," Pansy Parkinson called out as Cloud approached. She stared at him dreamy-eyed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I know how to make a really good salve. Family recipe you see. Why don't you come by later and let me rub it on all those sore muscles you have?"

Across the room, the spoon in Tifa's hand bent in half as her fist closed around it. Her knuckles cracked audibly and her lip curled in the smallest of snarls.

Cloud paused, smiled a little bit, and looked Pansy up and down, side to side. His smile quickly turned back into the painful frown he wore when he walked into the Great Hall.

"I'm not interested in the biggest slut in Slytherin history," he muttered as he walked away. "But I'm sure Malfoy and his gorillas wouldn't mind your company."

Pansy gasped at the comment and the entire Slytherin table shouted in anger. Bits of food flew at Cloud as chairs and feet shot out to trip him. None of the food hit him, but Cloud nearly tripped when Blaise Zabini pushed an empty chair right in front of him. Cloud caught himself just in time and whirled around at the laughing Slytherin table, his eyes glowing brightly. His glare scared the Slytherin table into shutting up and cowering back behind their breakfasts. Cloud smirked at their reaction and started to walk away. After a few steps, Cloud pulled his wand out of his robe pocket and spun around, aiming it at Blaise.

A burst of sparks shot out of Cloud's wand and crashed into a bowl of porridge next to Blaise, covering him in the thick grey muck. He fell out of his seat, shouting in disgust. Cloud laughed out loud and walked a little easier as he headed towards the Gryffindor table.

Meanwhile, Nanaki slipped behind Blaise and lit the boy's robes on fire with his flaming tail. Blaise jumped again, knocking more porridge onto his face and clothes. He hopped around, frantically trying to put out the fire. He crashed into the table and knocked into Millicent Bulstrode, who knocked into Goyle, who knocked into Crabbe, who knocked Malfoy off the end of the table.

The entire Great Hall roared in laughter, even the High Table where the teachers sat was laughing. Except Snape of course. His eyes glared at Cloud as he hobbled towards the Gryffindor table. The Slytherins eventually settled down and had cleaned themselves up by the time Cloud reached his own table.

"What happened to you?" asked Hermione as Cloud sat down next to Tifa.

"Detention," answered Cloud as he pilled steak and eggs onto his plate, slipping a large steak under the table for Nanaki.

"What did Snape make you do?" asked Harry. "Give the thestrals a bath?"

"That would have been easy," said Cloud in between bites. "They like me. Ol' Greasyhead made me trim that big tree behind the castle. It knocked the hell out of me."

"The Whomping Willow!" exclaimed Ron as Ginny choked on her breakfast.

"You could have been killed!" shouted Hermione. "Madam Pomfrey was right. You should be in the hospital wing!"

"Keep your voice down," growled Cloud as he rolled his eyes at her.

"You sure you're alright?" asked Tifa.

Cloud nodded. She smiled back at him and turned to Hermione, telling her that everything really was ok. She had seen Cloud in much worse shape and knew he healed faster than normal people thanks to his unique body chemistry. After surviving the fall from Midgar's Number 5 Mako Reactor, through the plate, and crashing through the roof of Aeris' church; a tree, no matter how big, shouldn't be too much trouble for Cloud.

"I'm starting to think my detentions with Umbridge last year weren't so bad," mumbled Harry, unconsciously rubbing his hand. The scars of _I Must Not Tell Lies_ had faded with time, but were still clearly visible.

"Are you going to be able to go to Hogsmeade this afternoon?" asked Hermione.

"Hogsmeade?" asked Cloud, confused.

"Today is the first visit to the Village of Hogsmeade," said Tifa. Cloud looked at her with a blank look on his face. "It's that small town just outside the castle grounds," she explained. Cloud nodded, finally recalling the village,

"And tonight is the big Halloween costume party," said Ginny cheerfully. "Prof. Sprout announced it weeks ago."

"And Hagrid hasn't shut up about his massive pumpkins since," added Ron.

"Don't you pay attention to anything besides Defense against the Dark Arts?" asked Harry. Cloud stopped eating for a moment, thinking, then just shrugged his shoulders.

Everyone laughed and Ginny stood up from the table.

"I'll see you all later," she said. "I gotta go get ready for this afternoon."

"Oh, you mean you have to go make yourself all pretty for when you meet him, hmm?" teased Tifa.

"Tifa…" growled Ginny in embarrassment.

Ron's eyebrow twitched.

"That reminds me. I finished that Kissing Charm you wanted me to put on your lipstick," said Hermione with an all knowing smile.

"Hermione!"

Ron's eyebrows twitched harder and steam began to pour out his ears. Ginny quickly turned and ran off before Harry could get in on the gag as well. Everyone, but Ron, burst out laughing as she left.

"Meeting who? Who is she meeting?" Ron shouted over the laughter. "And what are you doing putting Kissing Charms on my little sister's lipstick? You're supposed to be the responsible one of us Hermione!"

Harry, Cloud, and Tifa braced themselves for Hermione to yell at Ron like a Howler. Hermione's temper was becoming legendary amongst the Gryffindors and everyone waited for her to explode on Ron.

Hermione rose out of her seat and leaned across the table at Ron. She grabbed onto the front of his robes and pulled him close so they were nose to nose.

"You seemed to enjoy all my charms," she said sweetly before kissing him on the lips.

Everyone burst out laughing as Ron slowly fell back into his seat, his face blushing brightly.

-VII-

A flock of owls carrying parcels and newspapers flew into the Great Hall, interrupting all the conversations. A Barn Owl flew over to the Gryffindor table and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet in Hermione's lap.

"Anyone we know?" asked Ron in a determinedly casual voice; he had been asking the question every time someone opened a newspaper.

Hermione paled. "Er…sort of," she said worriedly. She slid the paper across the table. It landed in front of Cloud and Tifa. Tifa looked at Hermione, then down at the paper. Slowly, she reached out and lifted up the paper so she and Cloud could read it. She gasped when she saw the bold headline.

**MASS BREAKOUT AT AZKABAN**

_Late last night, a cadre of Death Eaters attacked and took over the wizarding prison Azkaban. The assault was led by Bellatrix Lestrange and involved no less than four masked Death Eaters and an unknown individual. According to Philip Brillstein, the sole surviving Auror stationed at Azkaban, it was the same silver haired swordsman that decimated Diagon Alley last August. Brillstein reported from his bed at St. Mungo's that the freed prisoners quickly joined their dark brethren in attacking the guards…_

Cloud stopped reading and crumpled the paper into a small ball and tossed it over his shoulder like garbage. He stabbed his fork back into his steak and continued eating like nothing was wrong.

Everybody stared at him, seeing right through the act. Hermione leaned over to Tifa and whispered into her ear.

"What is it with this guy that makes him so angry? I know you all have some really bad history, but Cloud takes it so personally."

Tifa sighed as Cloud continued to inhale his food. "Sephiroth was once Cloud's hero. He looked up to him and when Sephiroth flipped out, it hurt Cloud the most." Tifa stopped and looked at Cloud.

'And Cloud still feels responsible for Aeris' death,' she thought to herself, unable to speak the words aloud. 'He loved her and couldn't save her. And even after all this time, it still constantly eats away at him.'

-VII-

After breakfast, Cloud had Hermione repair his clothes and they all traveled down to the entrance to the castle. There Professor McGonagall and Mr. Filch were there collecting permission slips from the third year students and reminding some of the older students to be on their best behavior.

True to his word, Cloud's wounds were healing quickly. The bruises on his face were almost completely faded. He didn't clutch his ribs anymore and his limb was barely noticeable.

As Professor McGonagall reminded Harry, Hermione, and Ron to behave themselves, Filch turned and glared at Cloud and Tifa.

"Hold on there, you two!" he shouted at them. He stormed over to them and shook his crooked finger at them. "You two are new students. You don't have permission slips!"

Cloud looked at Filch confused. He hadn't asked permission for anything since he was a little kid in Nibelheim.

"Permission slip?" asked Tifa. "No one told us about any permission slips?"

"All students third year and above need to have a signed parental or guardian permission slip to visit Hogsmeade," explained Filch. "And if you don't have one, you can't go. No exceptions."

"Um, yeah. You see there's a problem with that," muttered Tifa. "You see…"

"What is going on over here?" asked McGonagall as she approached.

"These two don't have permission slips, Professor," said Filch. "I caught them trying to slip out without them."

"We weren't trying to slip out!" shouted Tifa defensively. "We didn't know we needed them."

Professor McGonagall looked at Cloud and Tifa nervously. Like the rest of the Order of Phoenix, she knew about their history, but was having a difficult time finding an excuse she could give to Filch.

"Er…Mr. Strife and Ms. Lockheart are special cases," she said nervously.

"You know the rules Professor," argued Filch. "There are no exceptions. You wouldn't let Potter go when he didn't have a slip. Can't be playing favorites now."

"What I meant to say, Mr. Filch, is that both Mr. Strife and Ms. Lockheart have both already turned in their permission slips to Professor Dumbledore. Now if you continue to have a problem, I suggest you take it up with him," McGonagall replied sternly. Filch nodded swiftly and sulked off. He had been sulky and bitter since Dumbledore removed the powers Umbridge had given him.

"Go on now," McGonagall said to Cloud and Tifa. "And Mr. Strife?" Cloud turned his head to look at her. "Behave yourself and look after the others."

Cloud nodded to her and waved to her.

-VII-

The group walked happily into Hogsmeade. Ron produced a box of Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Jelly Beans and everyone tried one. Cloud picked a Liver flavored one again. Everyone enjoyed a good laugh as Ginny departed to go off on her own. Ron tried to follow her, to see who she was meeting, but Hermione wouldn't let him. She grabbed onto the back of his shirt collar and dragged him away with her. Harry, Cloud, and Tifa laughed and followed, Nanaki padding along at their heels.

Even with the crowds of students milling about the streets, Hogsmeade lacked the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley. Tifa thought it looked like something out of a fairy tale. All the buildings were small and quaint with thatched roofs and tiny cottages stuck in between them.

"Reminds me of Icicle Inn," said Cloud. "Just without all the snow."

"Sounds like a ski resort," said Harry.

"Sort of," replied Tifa. "The only way out was to snowboard down a glacier."

Cloud smiled. "Now that was fun."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione only stared at their friends for a moment before shaking their heads. They led their friends into the heart of Hogsmeade and the group entered Honeyduke's Candy Shop. A thousand different smells, each one as intoxicatingly delicious as the other, assaulted the teens as they entered.

Cloud and Tifa walked up and down the aisles behind their friends, watching them stuff handfuls of different candy into bags. After paying for the massive amount of junk food, Harry, Ron, and Tifa were whispering something to each other and Harry suddenly turned around to Cloud and Tifa with a pair of boxes in his outstretched hand.

"Here try these. They're called Chocolate Frogs," he said.

Cloud looked at him suspiciously. "These aren't real frogs right? They aren't like those jelly beans you keep giving to me?"

"No, they're just chocolate," said Ron.

"Hermione, you're being awfully quiet," said Tifa. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked in her sweetest tone.

"Nope," said Hermione. "They're just wizard chocolate."

Cloud looked at the small box in Harry's hand before looking the young wizard in the eye. Harry's green eyes gave nothing away and Cloud grabbed the two boxes, handing one to Tifa. They removed the wrapping, taking a moment to peek at Harry, Ron, and Hermione's expectant faces, and opened the boxes.

The magical chocolate frogs, free from their confining boxes, leapt out. Tifa's made the mistake of jumping straight up in the air, giving her the chance she needed to catch it and pop it in her mouth. Cloud's proved to be more difficult.

The frog jumped onto his arm and ducked under his robes, hopping underneath them all the way up his arm. Cloud swore and swatted at the bulge under his robe, but the frog kept jumping around until he popped out from under Cloud's collar. Hopping onto Cloud's face, the chocolate frog leapt onto Cloud's spiky hair and then off behind him. Cloud spun around, eager to squash the frog, but it was already gone. He turned back to find his friends laughing hysterically.

"Real cute," he muttered before having a small chuckle at his own expense. Then he glared at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "You know this means I'm going to have to get back at you all," he said with a wolfish smile.

-VII-

A crowd of students had gathered around Zonko's Joke Shop. The shop's doors and windows were closed and no one was able to enter. Neville and Seamus were standing in front of the shop with the rest of

"What's going on?" asked Harry as the group approached the shop. "How come no one can get into Zonko's?"

"Don't know," replied Neville.

"They won't let anyone near the place, let alone in," Seamus said upset.

Before Harry could say anything else, a loud burst of brightly colored fireworks burst high in the sky above Zonko's. A chorus of trumpets and drums blared to life, followed by more green, blue, and red fireworks. People from all over Hogsmeade were drawn to the loud and colorful display.

Suddenly, the fireworks and music stopped and a loud BANG came from the Zonko's shop. Red and green smoke poured out from behind the golden Zonko's sign and, with a burst of purple sparks, the sign fell off with a deafening thud.

The gathered crowd gasped in shock and surprise at the ruined sign. Those closest to it slowly inched towards it, poking the sign with their fingers and wands. Others stood with their wands out, afraid of that the falling sign was a sign of a Death Eater attack.

"ATTENTION LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS! CHILDREN OF ALL AGES!" boomed a magically enhanced voice. Everyone looked around for the source of the voice, but no one could find it.

"WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT ZONKO'S WILL NO LONGER BE OPENING ITS DOORS FOR BUSINESS!" another voice shouted. "IN ITS PLACE A BRAND NEW BUSINESS VENTURE WILL BE OPENING!"

"A ONE OF A KIND BUSINESS THAT IS UNPARRALEL WITH ANYTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!" came the first voice again. "PRESENTING…."

A pair of young men appeared on the roof of what used to be Zonko's. They threw their hands in the air and another eruption of fireworks exploded in the air.

"WEASLEY'S WIZARD WHEEZES!"

A new colorful sign appeared in the air and settled down on the roof where the old Zonko's sign used to be. The crowd roared with cheers and shouts as Fred and George Weasley apparated off the roof and in front of the shop doors. They opened their new shop and bowed to the gathered crowd, admitting them entrance. Hogwarts' students rushed into the store with glee and immediately began to stuff their arms with gags and tricks.

Harry and the others waited as the crowd diminished before walking towards George and Fred, who were still standing in front of their shop.

"Ron! Harry! Hermione!" cried Fred, waving at them. "So good of you to come to our grand opening."

"And I see you brought your beautiful friend Tifa again as well," said George as he bent over and kissed Tifa's hand, holding it in his silvery magical one. She blushed slightly and fidgeted uncomfortably at all the attention. She could her Cloud grit his teeth together in jealous anger and she blushed even brighter.

"Why didn't you tell us you were buying Zonko's?" asked Ron.

"Because we knew you'd blab to the entire school," said Fred.

"We wanted it to be a surprise," replied George as he slowly backed away from Tifa, and Cloud's glowing stare.

The group muscled their way inside and scattered to look at all the wonderful products. Cloud and Tifa followed Ron and Hermione towards the bins of Muggle magic tricks, while Harry remained with the twins.

"How's the arm?" he asked George.

"Well, it was bloody awful at first," George admitted. "But after I got used to it, I found all sorts of great things to do with it." He drew his wand and pointed it at his hand. With a tap, the magical hand began to shimmer and a line appeared along his wrist. The line grew and traveled all the way around George's wrist. He put his wand back into his pocket and grabbed on to the silvery fingers. With a quick pull, the magical hand popped off at the wrist. Harry gasped in shock as George's hand scampered around on its own, climbing up his arm and resting on his shoulder.

"Bloody wicked, isn't it Harry?" George smiled.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Harry asked.

"Not at all," boosted George. "I can do just about anything with it. Watch," he said as he placed the hand on the ground. Harry watched as the hand crawled across the floor, dodging feet and bags along the way, until it reached Ron's pant leg. The silvery hand slid nimbly up Ron's back and perched on his head, drumming its fingers on Ron's forehead.

Ron screamed "SPIDER!" and began to frantically dance around the shop, bumping into other customers and swatted at his hair. He knocked George's hand off his head and stomped on it until he realized it wasn't a spider.

"George!" he shouted and the entire shop erupted in laughter. Ron turned bright red in embarrassment before picking up the hand and throwing it across the shop at George. It bounced twice before landing at Harry's feet. He picked it up and handed it back to George.

"He did that to Ron all day long before school started," said Fred. "Mum raised such a fit, we we're afraid she was going to throw George back into St. Mungo's just to get him out of the house."

George laughed as he reattached his hand and ducked behind the cashier's counter. He emerged with a small wrapped box and handed it to Harry.

"Here, give this to Ron later," he said. "Be sure to only use it near a lot of annoying snakes," he winked. Harry caught his meaning and put the package away, smiling.

-VII-

A brisk wind picked up and Harry and the others crowded into the Three Broomsticks. The tiny inn was packed with students, witches, and wizards, all trying to stay out of the cold. The curvy figure of Madam Rosemerta was running to and fro behind the bar, her hands full of Butterbeer and mulled mead.

Tifa's eyes gleamed as she entered. With the wooden floor, wooden tables, and plank bar looked just like her old bar in the Sector 7 slums: the famous Seventh Heaven.

"It looks just like my old bar," she said.

"All it needs is a pinball machine and a secret underground base for a bunch of terrorists," replied Cloud. Harry, Ron, and Hermione glared at him, but Cloud ignored them.

"Excuse me?" interrupted Madam Rosemerta. "But did I hear that you used to have a bar?" she asked Tifa.

"I used to, yes," Tifa answered.

"Listen, I'm really swamped here. Do you think you could give me a hand back here?" she asked, practically begging Tifa.

"I'd love to," Tifa smiled as she tossed her cloak into Cloud's face. She happily vaulted over the bar and turned to Harry and the others. "What can I get ya?"

Cloud chuckled, remembering Tifa asking him the same question after the Sector 7 Reactor bombing.

"Give me something hard," he answers her, using the same reply from before. Tifa smiled, remembering as well, and poured him a tall glass of Fire Whiskey. Cloud grabbed the glass and toasted her with it. He was about to drink it when Hermione put her hand on his arm.

"You might not want to drink that all at once," she warned. Cloud rolled his eyes at her and drank the entire glass of Fire Whiskey in one giant gulp. Hermione shook her head. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Cloud opened his mouth to tell her off when a burning sensation crept into his chest. The burn grew outward and upward, erupting in a loud cough. Cloud held his burnt throat as another cough escaped his lips. He coughed again and again, blue tinted fireballs coming out of his mouth. One cough lit one of the bar patron's hat on fire, others set fire to the surrounding tables.

"Good stuff," Cloud coughed as the bar patrons quickly put out the fires.

Tifa laughed at her friend and handed him a glass of water before walking off to serve others.

"Come on," said Harry. "Let's go grab a table you didn't set on fire." Cloud coughed up the last of the Fire Whiskey and followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione to a corner booth.

The three Gryffindors talked quietly amongst themselves for a bit, sipping their Butterbeers, while Cloud stared across the bar. His eyes darted this way and that, picking up every little detail that was happening in the Three Broomsticks.

Harry looked over at him and nudged Cloud on the shoulder. "What's the matter? You've been out of it all day."

"Yeah, did the Whomping Willow knock a screw loose in that spiky head of yours?" Ron joked, putting his two cents in.

"I'm fine," answered Cloud, his eyes not leaving the bar area. "I guess I'm just a little paranoid or something."

"Paranoid? Of what?" asked Hermione.

Cloud craned his head around to look at her. "Remember the last time we were all out in public?" he asked darkly.

-VII-

Harry sat nervously at the table, uncomfortable with the crowd and all the stares he was getting from the bar's patrons. He could hear them whispering about the Department of Mysteries and about Sirius. The whispers and stares made him feel uncomfortable. The bar began to spin and Harry felt the walls pressing down on him.

"I think I'm going to go get some fresh air," he said as he stood from the table, quickly leaving before anyone else could interject.

Harry walked down the nearly empty main street of Hogsmeade, his cloak pulled tightly around him to shield off the wind. He past Zonko's and Honeyduke's and before he knew it was standing in front of the Snuffle's Cave.

The cave was as dark and gloomy as it had ever been, even when Sirius had lived in it he couldn't cheer it up much without drawing attention to himself. Harry walked through the cave, disturbing the rats that had taken up residence after Sirius left. There was nothing left of his godfather in the cave. Just a few yellowing copies of the Daily Prophet with news of the Triwizard Tournament on the front page. Harry picked one up and a small smile crossed his face as he saw a picture of himself fly under the Hungarian Horntail's snapping jaws. Sirius had been so proud of him for flying like that. Said it reminded him of Harry's father flying…

Harry threw the paper down at the sad memory and quickly stalked out of the cave. He walked up the main street again, walking right past all the shops and the Three Broomsticks and right to the Shrieking Shack.

Harry stared at the rickety old building, the wind howling all around him. He fidgeted uneasily, remembering the one and only time he ever set foot in the building. Anger flashed through him at the memory and he picked up a handful of stones. He flung the stones at the few windows remaining on the Shack, shattering one of them.

"I should have let Sirius kill Wormtail," he growled as he hurled the rocks. "I shouldn't have been so stupid to fall for Voldemort's trap. Sirius should still be alive…" He reached down for more rocks, but couldn't find any more. Bristling, he stomped over to a large boulder and sat down upon it.

-VII-

Cho Chang was walking with a small group of Ravenclaw friends towards the Three Broomsticks when she heard the sound of glass break. She turned her head around and saw Harry off in the distance, sitting down on a boulder outside the Shrieking Shack. His clothes and long hair were disheveled and he looked utterly lost.

"I'll catch up with you girls later," she told her friends and quickly walked towards Harry. He heard her feet crunching over the fallen dead leaves and picked his head up. Cho saw his face was pale and looked as if he were on the verge of crying.

"Looking for some company?" she asked.

"Not looking, but I'd like some all the same," answered Harry, smiling slightly.

Cho smiled and sat down next to him. "Why are you out here all by yourself?" she asked him.

"Thinking," Harry answered, staring at the Shrieking Shack.

"About what?" asked Cho.

"My godfather."

"Sirius Black, right?"

Harry turned and looked at Cho in amazement. "How do you…"

"It was in the paper over the summer. Right after he died. The Ministry cleared his name and everything."

"I didn't know," muttered Harry. "I didn't get the paper too often over the summer."

"So that's where you met him?" asked Cho, pointing at the Shrieking Shack. Harry nodded.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, just staring at the Shack. Neither teen really knew what to say. Finally Cho stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.

"Well, my friends are waiting for me at the Three Broomsticks. Want to walk over with me?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "My friends are there too."

The pair walked back slowly, neither really knowing what to say. Finally it was Cho who broke the silence.

"You know, I never really thanked you for saving me and Marietta in Diagon Alley," she said softly.

Harry blushed slightly. "It was nothing."

"What possessed you to do that anyway?"

"Do what?"

"You swooped in like some superhero in bright red tights and nearly got yourself killed in the process," said Cho. "I mean, you were just so reckless. It doesn't make any sense to me."

Harry shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time." The pair laughed lightly and reached the Three Broomsticks. Harry could see Ron and Hermione making fun of Cloud as he had another glass of Fire Whiskey. They stood outside for a moment, not what to do or what to say.

Harry was about to ask Cho if she was going to the party tonight when Marietta and Cho's other friends walked out of the Three Broomsticks.

"There you are," Marietta said as she approached. "Oh, hi Harry," she greeted dully. Harry assumed she still held a little resentment towards him and Hermione for the acne, despite Harry saving her life in Diagon Alley.

"Hi," Harry said sheepishly.

"We're heading back to the castle," Marietta told Cho. "You coming?"

"Sure," said Cho. "I'll see you later Harry."

Harry waved goodbye and returned to the warm bar just in time to see Cloud cough up another blue tinted fireball.

-VII-

"Why did you keep drinking that stuff?" asked Tifa. "You knew you were going to keep coughing up fireballs."

"I liked the taste," said Cloud with a smile. His friends laughed at him as they left the Three Broomsticks, everyone carrying parcels of jokes, candy, and items for their costumes.

"You didn't have to cough them at me," said Harry, fingering the burnt mark on his shirt.

"You walked into it," Cloud argued as Ginny ran up behind them.

"Hey everybody," she said cheerfully. Ron quickly looked past his little sister, looking for her mystery "friend".

"Where is he? Who were you meeting? Do we know him? Is he a Gryffindor? He's not a Slytherin, is he?" he asked, peppering Ginny with question after question.

Ginny rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione and Tifa for help. Tifa just laughed while Hermione pulled out her wand.

"Silencio," she uttered and jabbed her wand at Ron. The silence charm worked perfectly and Ron's mouth flapped open and closed like a fish with no words or any noises coming out.

"Thanks," said Ginny.

The walk back to Hogwarts was a pleasant one, although Ron silently sulked the whole way. As they reached the castle's welcoming front doors, Harry turned to Cloud.

"Told you that you were just being paranoid earlier."

"Yeah, maybe," Cloud said, rubbing his left shoulder.

-VII-

The Hogwart's Halloween party was already in full swing when Cloud walked down from the Gryffindor tower. The party was taking place outside the castle, on one of the grassy hills besides the Quidditch pitch. The Forbidden Forest loomed in the background as the castle ghosts flew across the sky, spooking students and popping out of food when people least expected it. A roaring, magical bonfire took up the center of the field, its flames constantly changing colors from orange to bright purple and everything in between.

Cadres of giant jack o lanterns were placed on the winding stairs leading towards the party. Some were carved into frightening monsters of the magical world. Cloud didn't recognize any of them, or think they were very scary. Other pumpkins were carved into sloppy, comical grins. Cloud burst out laughing as he passed the last pumpkin. It was carved in the likeness of Professor Snape. Except Snape was wearing a very ugly dress and had a vulture hat on.

Cloud entered the party and stared at all the different costumes the students and professors were wearing. He quickly spotted his friends and headed over towards them, weaving through magical and colorful costumes.

Cloud wasn't too thrilled about dressing up. He tried wearing his SOLDIER uniform, but Tifa wouldn't let him.

"Everyone's getting all dressed up tonight Cloud," she told him. "You need to wear something better than what you wore practically everyday back home."

So Cloud was dressed as a Knight in shining plate mail. He had used a Brilliance charm on the armor to make it shine like mirrors. His sword was strapped to his back, the Hardedge jewel gleaming in the hilt. He clanged everything he took a step, but Cloud didn't care. He quickly manuvered through the crowd of costumed students and joined his friends.

Harry was wearing tuxedo-like dress robes complete with top hat and a white Phantom mask covering half his face.

Ron was harder to spot, his head had vanished. He wrapped Harry's Invisibility Cloak around his head and was parading around as a walking body.

Hermione was dressed in a skimpy green mini dress with a pair of fully functional fairy wings on her back. She didn't walk; she simply fluttered to and fro.

Ginny was dressed in a simple, but elegant princess gown. The gown was light blue and a shining silver crown sat atop her head.

Cloud approached the group and stopped dead in his tracks as Tifa turned and smiled at him. She was wearing a long, slinky red dress with a slit going up to her thigh, exposing her leg. The dress was low cut and a pair of false fangs completed the vampire ensemble. Her long hair was pulled back in a tight bun with silvery bats spread throughout it.

"How do I look Cloud?" she asked when he arrived.

"Um, uh, hmm," Cloud stammered to find real words. Tifa laughed and led him over to the food tables.

The tables were filled with wizardly delights. There were goblets filled with Butterbeer and Spiced Pumpkin Juice, a full stock of candy, pumpkin seeds, and more junk food than Cloud thought could ever exist in one place.

"No Fire Whiskey?" he jokingly asked Tifa.

"I think you set enough things on fire for one day," she said, smiling.

-VII-

Harry smiled weakly as the party began to really spring to life. A Wizard band called the Summoned Sirens was playing a nice assortment fast paced jigs and slow songs and people were starting to dance.

Harry sat off to the side, watching his friends and fellow students enjoy the night. He was still too upset and melancholy from his visit to Snuffle's Cave and the Shrieking Shack to be in the mood for dancing.

Unfortunately, the girls noticed as well.

"Harry James Potter, you cheer up this minute," chastised Hermione as she fluttered over with Ginny and Tifa.

"I know you're felling down, but you can't let it get to you," encouraged Tifa.

"Enough sulking,' said Ginny. Taking the direct approach, she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him to his feet. "You're going to dance and have fun even if I have to make you."

She pulled him out onto the dance floor as a slow song began and placed his hands on her hips. Harry rolled his eyes and tried to get away, but Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Surrendering, Harry slowly danced with Ginny for the entirety of the song. By the end, he didn't want to let go of her.

When the song finally ended, Harry tried to escape the dance floor, but found himself cornered by Hermione and Tifa.

"You didn't think you were going to get off that easy, did you?" asked Hermione.

"Come on Potter," said Tifa. "Let's see how good you are on your toes."

Almost on cue, the band struck up a fast paced swing song and Harry stumbled to keep up as Tifa pulled him back onto the dance floor. Harry groaned as Ron and Cloud watched from the sidelines and laughed.

"I don't know why you two are laughing!" shouted Harry over the music. "I'm pretty sure you two are next!"

Sure enough, after Hermione made Harry dance with her as well, the girls left Harry for the others. Ginny ran off to meet her friend, whom everyone knew by now except for Ron, of course. Ron tried to sneak off by throwing the whole invisibility cloak over his body and follow her, but Hermione caught him and dragged him off towards the food tables to mingle with the other prefects.

Even Tifa managed to drag the reluctant Cloud onto the dance floor for a series of painfully slow dances. Harry grinned as Cloud's armor clanged together as he struggled to stay off the dance floor.

But then he was alone again, and Harry felt a cold sadness creep into him. It chilled him to the bone and filled him with sorrow. He turned away from his friends and snuck out of the party, heading towards the rear of the castle.

And unbeknownst to him, three dark shapes followed.

-VII-

Harry sat beneath a large Mallorn tree outside of Professor Sprout's greenhouse, his top hat and mask tossed aside. Suddenly, the cold sadness he felt at the party filled him again. The air grew cold around him and Harry could see his breath in small clouds. Harry felt all the happiness drain from his body and immediately looked up for its source.

Three dark figures wrapped in raggedy black robes appeared on the other side of the greenhouse.

"Dementors," whispered Harry as he struggled to his feet. He was quickly becoming used to the Dementors' saddening effects, but this time it felt stronger, like these Dementors were more powerful than the ones Harry had faced in the past.

Harry staggered to his feet and pulled his wand out of his robes. He focused on the happiest memory he could think of as the Dementors rounded the greenhouse and came right at him. Settling on when he played Quidditch for the first time, Harry threw his head back and roared at the Dementors.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A silvery stag burst out of Harry's wand and ran at the Dementors. Harry's stag charged down the Dementors and lowered its silvery antlers. Bright light burst into the air as the stag crashed into all three Dementors. The light was so bright Harry had to look away.

The light quickly faded and Harry turned back around, turning face to face with the Dementors. The dark creatures was still bearing down on him, his Patronus had no effect at all. Harry tries to summon another Patronus, but the Dementors' effects grow worse and worse, until Harry can't think of any more happy memories.

The lead Dementor reached out a cold dead hand and Harry heard his mother's voice in his head, screaming for Voldemort to spare him. He heard Cedic's voice asking him to take his body back to his parents. He heard Bellatrix Lestrange's evil cackle as the world begins to fade.

Harry falls sideways, collapsing to the ground with no strength left to fight off the Dementors. His head struck against one of the Mallorn roots and the world fades to inky blackness.

-VII-

Cho Chang stood next to her friend Marietta at the costume party. Marietta was wearing colorful face paint to cover her acne and wore an equally colorful Harlequin costume. Cho was dressed in a beautiful blue kimono with a red and white checkered obi. A small jeweled headband completed the costume.

Cho watched from across the party as Harry snuck out of the party. Remembering how upset and depressed he was back in Hogsmeade, Cho excused herself and followed behind him.

Harry had a large head start on her and Cho had a hard time fighting through the crowd of costumed students. He quickly got away from her and disappeared into the dark castle grounds.

Cho followed in the direction Harry had gone. She looked everywhere for him, but couldn't find him. She ran down to the Quidditch pitch, thinking that would be the first place Harry would go.

Nut he wasn't there. Cho wandered through the entire Quidditch arena, but only found a handful of students making out. She quickly left and headed back around the castle, towards Professor Sprout's greenhouse.

She walked along the outside of the greenhouse, peering in through the glass. She still didn't see any sign of Harry. Growing frustrated, Cho leaned up against the glass greenhouse and sighed.

That's when she heard the whimpering.

Cho crept around the greenhouse and saw the giant Mallorn tree close by. She saw a figure in dress robes lying amongst the roots and she knew it was Harry. She smiled and started towards the tree when she heard a series of snickers coming from the other side of the Mallorn.

Cho slowed down and crept through the shadows towards the other side of the Mallorn tree. Her kimono blended into the shadows perfectly. As she got closer to the tree, she began to make out the voices. It was Harry who was whimpering and crying out, she was sure of that.

"Listen to him cry like a baby," a slow, deep voice said.

"Yeah, he's just a big baby," said another.

"You're not so tough without your spiky haired friend and his girlfriend, are you Potter?" gloated a slimy voice.

Cho gritted her teeth. She recognized the voice easily. It was Draco Malfoy's voice, meaning the other two were his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. Cho drew her wand out of her kimono and peeked around the side of the tree.

Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy were all standing over Harry, their wands drawn and pointed at him. They were all dressed in ragged black robes and blue waves cascaded out of their wands and onto Harry.

'Saddening spells,' Cho thought, recognizing the blue waves. She crept around them and approached from behind the Slytherins. They were too busy tormenting Harry to notice.

"Stupefy!" she shouted and red beams crashed into Crabbe and Goyle's backs, stunning them. They fell forward like wooden boards and crashed into each other.

Malfoy spun around, but Cho was ready for him. With a flick of her wand, she disarmed Malfoy, sending his wand flying off into the bushes. Malfoy backed away from her glowing wand, scrambling against the Mallorn tree.

"What's the matter Malfoy? Not so tough without your gorillas, are you?" mocked Cho, using Malfoy's own words against him.

"You think you're so smart, don't you Chang?" sneered Malfoy. "I'll see that you get yours someday. Now that my father's out of jail, we'll make you and your whole family pay. I swear it!"

"Aren't you the little aspiring Dark Lord?" growled Cho. She walked closer to Malfoy and stuck her wand tip right in his face. "Maybe I should do the world a favor and just blast your stuck up nose right off." She lunged forward and Malfoy cringed back, flinching in fear.

Cho smirked before her right foot shot out and crashed in between Malfoy's legs. The boy groaned and fell to the ground, retching all over Crabbe and Goyle.

"Maybe that'll teach you," muttered Cho as she ran away from Malfoy to check on Harry. He had stopped whimpering and was lying against the tree unconscious.

"Come on, wake up Harry," she whispered as she lightly shook him. Harry slowly began to come out of it and blinked his eyes.

"Cho…" he muttered.

She smiled at him. "Take it easy, Harry. It's ok now."

Harry closed his eyes again and rubbed the back of his head. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he leapt forward.

"Dementors!" he shouted and tried to jump to his feet. Cho held him down and cupped his cheek in her hand.

"It's ok," she said, reassuring him. "There weren't any Dementors. It was Malfoy and his cronies. They dressed up like Dementors and used Saddening Spells on you."

"But I saw… I hear my mum…" stammered Harry.

"I know, I know," said Cho softly. She held her hand out for Harry. "Come on; let's head back to the party before your friends organize a search party."

Harry took her hand and let her help him up. His body felt weak from the Saddening Spells, but he felt his strength slowly returning. He stumbled a bit when he took his first step, but Cho's arm snaked through his and she held him up.

"Thanks," he muttered and walked away from the Mallorn tree. He spotted the vomit covered Crabbe and Goyle and Malfoy curled up in the fetal position on the ground next to them. Harry walked past them, ignoring the stench of vomit and Malfoy's moans of pain. Cho gathered up Harry's costume and followed behind him. She gave him back his hat and helped reposition the Phantom mask over his face. Together, they walked back towards the party.

-VII-

Tifa and Cloud moved together on the outskirts of the dance floor, away from most of the other dancing students. The pair had started near the center, but flocks of admirers for the both of them kept interrupting their dances. Moving to the outskirts allowed them the privacy away from all the others. It also allowed saved Cloud a great deal of embarrassment. He was a terrible dancer to begin with and the armor he was wearing wasn't helping. He constantly clanged around and accidentally stepped on Tifa's feet.

The latest song ended and Cloud and Tifa stopped their twirling and dancing. A new slow song began after it and Tifa pulled Cloud back onto the dance floor.

The song had just begun when Cloud spotted Harry walk onto the dance floor with a pretty girl in a blue kimono. He gently nudged Tifa, who looked and saw the pair wrap their arms around each other and began dancing.

"Good for you Harry," she whispered.

The song continued its slow melody and Tifa let herself sink into Cloud's arms. She rested her head on Cloud's shoulder and a quiet sigh escaped her lips.

"You ok?" whispered Cloud.

"Uh huh," she whispered back. "I just never thought things could be this way."

"What things?"

"These things," Tifa said. "We spent so much time back home, fighting and traveling constantly. I never thought we would ever settle down in one place for so long. We were all out on the edge for so long…sometimes I didn't think we would make it."

"Not all of us did," he said a little sadly.

'You had to bring her up, didn't you?' she thought, biting her lip. It always came back to her.

"But we did, Cloud," she said, lifting her head off his shoulder. "We're here, right now…"

Tifa's brown eyes met with Cloud's glowing blue. The time slowed down to a crawl as they looked into each other's eyes. Tifa felt herself move closer to Cloud, she could feel him leaning in. Her eyes began to close as their faces grew closer and closer together…

The music stopped. The song ended and time returned to normal. The crowd of dancing students broke into applause. Cloud and Tifa remained frozen for a moment, then slowly, reluctantly began to separate.

-VII-

Cloud and Tifa stepped away from each other, their faces blushing. They didn't speak, they just quietly walked off the dance floor and over towards the food tables. Tifa spotted Katie Bell and began to chat with her, constantly peeking over Katie's shoulder at Cloud. Cloud stood by the food, helping himself to a small pile of grapes. He turned away from the table and casually tossed the grapes into the air one at a time, catching them in his mouth.

He paid no attention to the girl as she walked up beside him. She was dressed as a mummy with dozens of wrappings covering her entire face and body. She inched closer and closer to Cloud, looking over the various trays of food. She moved right next to him, standing on his left side.

Cloud stepped forward to get out of her way. As he did, he heard her voice in his ear.

"_Reversia Obliviate Puppetia," _she whispered into his ear before walking away.

Shock waves of pain instantly flashed through Cloud's body as the magical trigger tore through his mind. The pain grew worse as it converged in his left arm. Cloud cried out in agony as his arm began to buckle and contort.

The arm moved as if it had a life all its own. It twisted in ways no arm should: snapping and re-knitting bones, tearing and realigning muscles. The pain was intense and Cloud dropped down to one knee, screaming and clutching his arm.

-VII-

Tifa heard Cloud's screams of pain and immediately rushed to his side, nearly knocking Katie Bell over in the process.

"Cloud! What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, laying a hand on his back, trying to comfort him. Cloud hunched away from her, blocking away from his arm. Tifa ran around him, determined to help him.

"Get…away…from…me!" growled Cloud in pain. Tifa ignored him and stayed at his side.

"Cloud, let me help you," she called out, reaching out and cupping his chin, trying to look at his face. Cloud's head suddenly snapped up, surprising her. Tifa stumbled back in shock as Cloud stared at her.

The glow in Cloud's eyes had faded and his eyes changed from icy blue to emerald green. They were cold, soulless.

"Oh God no," muttered Tifa. Memories flashed through her mind; images of Sephiroth controlling Cloud into handing over the Black Materia, of Cloud's Mako poisoning and falling into the Lifestream in Mideel, Aeris' death…

"It can't…I fixed your memories! We were together in the Lifestream, remember?" she cried, tears rolling down her face. She pounded her fist into Cloud's chest. "Please…you're not a puppet anymore!"

Cloud's arm shot out and struck Tifa in the chest, sending her sprawling backwards. Tifa spun out of control and crashed into the table of food, knocking it over and spilling the food and drinks everywhere.

Cloud's left hand jerked and twitched towards his sword and he drew the rectangular Hardedge. The blade hung loosely in his hand and dragged along the ground as Cloud lurched towards the dance floor.

Tifa shouted at Cloud from the ground, but he didn't acknowledge her. He kept stalking towards the dance floor, dragging his sword behind him. Tifa ran after him and quickly caught up with him. She jumped in front of him and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Snap out of it Cloud!" she shouted as she shook him roughly.

Cloud slowly raised his head to look at her, his green eyes blank and empty. His face was cold and uncaring as stone. He pushed her aside and shoved past all the dancing couples, knocking many of the students over as he barreled past them.

Tifa watched as he made a straight line through the crowd, single minded on his destination. Tifa looked ahead and saw who Cloud was heading for. Harry and the pretty girl in the kimono were still dancing in the center of the floor, clueless to what was going on.

Tifa pushed herself up and ran after Cloud, jumping over the students he knocked over and dodging past the ones he didn't. Tifa ran faster as Cloud reached Harry and the girl. Harry finally realized that Cloud was bearing down on him, but by then it was too late. Harry threw himself in front of the girl, a gallant move, but equally futile. Cloud's sword would cleave through both of them as easily as it would through just one of them.

She pushed herself harder as Cloud raised his massive sword. The band stopped playing and all eyes at the party followed Cloud's sword. Tifa could see the Professors racing towards their position, but they would never reach in time. Tifa sprinted as fast as she could, her dress a red blur as Cloud swung his sword downward.

Tifa dove at Harry and the girl, knocking them out of the way as Cloud's sword came slashing down. The square edge of the sword grazed Tifa's arm, spraying a stripe of blood into the air. Some stained the ground, but splash of crimson blood splattered across Cloud's face.

Tifa clutched her bleeding arm, the world spinning around her as she lay on the ground. She watched as Cloud slowly raised his hand to his face and wiped away her blood. He stared at his bloodstained hand and began to tremble, his face growing pale. His eyes sparked back to life and slowly returned to their glowing blue.

Cloud's head snapped up, as if he was just waking from a deep sleep, and looked around. All the students had backed away from the scene, forming a large ring around Cloud and Tifa. Professors were fighting their way through the crowd of students and when they arrived, just stared like the rest of the students. Harry was helping the pretty girl he was dancing with to her feet and they both stared at Cloud with fear in their eyes.

Cloud looked down at Tifa as she pressed a scrap of her dress against her wound, then back down at the red edge of his sword. His hands began to shake violently and his dropped the massive sword.

"No," he whispered, staring at his trembling hands. "Not again!" he wailed and turned away, running through the parting crowd and heading towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Cloud stop!" shouted Tifa, struggling to her feet. She started after him, but was stopped by a large hand on her shoulder. She spun around, coming face to face with Hagrid's barrel chest. Dumbledore stood beside him, a calm sort of smile on his face.

"Let go of me!" she shouted and tried to pull away. Hagrid held on with all his half-giant strength, barely stopping her. If Tifa hadn't been hurt, she would have pulled away easily.

"Hold on der, Tifa," Hagrid said as he held on.

"Please calm yourself, my dear," said Dumbledore. "I believe that Mr. Strife would perhaps like a moment alone."

"You don't understand!" shouted Tifa, struggling against Hagrid. "If I don't help him now, then it will just get worse and worse and I won't see him become a puppet again!" She tried to pull away again, but Hagrid, moving faster than anyone could have ever thought he could move, spun in front of her and held her shoulders with both hands.

"Yer right, we don't understand," he said softly, bending down so they were looking each other in the eye. "And Ah know ye want to help yer friend. But you can't run into de Forest bleedin' like that. Every foul creature that calls those woods home will be all over ya. Let Madam Pomfrey fix ye up first. Won't take but a minute," he said with a wink.

Tifa struggled against the half-giant one last time before letting Hagrid and Dumbledore lead her back into the castle. She walked with her face cast downwards, refusing to look at all the students astonished faces, even when the faces belonged to Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Harry.

It wasn't until she reached the castle door that she looked back at the Forbidden Forest. The Forest looked darker and more evil than it ever had before. And for an instant, she swore she heard an almost inhuman cry of sorrow.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Been a while since I updated this story, and after that long chapter you can see why. This one took me forever to write and for awhile I wrestled with the idea of cutting it in half. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and look forward to more.

Nataku's Wrath

Reviewer Shout-Outs!

JML: I think I mentioned the Dementor's Kiss in a spell form back when Voldie first turned Sephirtoh into a zombie. I thought it was a pretty clever and unique way for Voldemort to keep Sephiroth under control. As far as Sephiroth still having specks of free will, they will play more part in future chapters, but I can't say how without spoiling anything. Thanks for the review and I hope to hear from you again.

Reiko S. Yoshihiro: Glad you enjoyed Sephiroth and Bellatrix's interactions so much. I thought they were pretty funny too. Than kyou for the wonderful compliments and I hope to hear from you again very soon.

Persephonevii: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. The part where Sephiroth meets Lucius Malfoy was actually suggested by a reader of mine and I thought it was wonderful. As far as Voldemort and his cruel schemes, I also always believed that he was all about power and alot of the muggle born hatred was used to recruit the older and wealthier wizarding families. How Bellatrix truely feels about everything will be seen later as well as more from the pretty young Death Eater from Diagon Alley. Thanks for the great review and I hope to hear from you again soon.

paintball-gamer: Glad you liked the chapter. I always felt the fighting in the Potter books was too simple and repetitive. Basically, with the exception of killing the Basilisk, Harry and the others mainly fight with their wands. A few swishes of a stick and a little mumbo jumbo and thats that. I wanted there to be something more too it. Having Sephiroth, Cloud, and Tifa in the Hogwarts world lets me add some more flair and bloody violence to the story. Bellatrix was originally going to be an old nasty hag, completely corrupted by the Dark Arts. A female Voldemort, as it were. Then I saw that Helena Bonham Carter was going to play Bellatrix in the next Harry Potter film. She's no old nasty hag. So I changed and spiced Bellatrix up, making her Voldemort's lover as well as his follower. I can't say too much about Sephiroth and Voldemort's spell without giving too much away though. Thanks for the great review and I hope to hear from you soon.

kirallie: Like I've been saying, I can't say too much about Sephiroth right now. If I were to explain things or answer your questions, it would ruin the future chapters for you and everyone else. All I can say is keep reading and reviewing and I'll keep writing better and better. Sooner or later, all will be explained in awesome details.

Lachwen: Thanks for the review. Sephiroth is still a zombie though, and in for a whole lot more trouble. Hope to hear from you again soon.

NamelessHeretic: Thanks. There are a lot of crossovers out there and to just be considered to be one of the best by a reviewor is fantastic. That means alot to me. Hope you like this new chapter and that I hear from you again soon.

Hittocerebattosai: Yeah, I do need to change the summary. Maybe that's why I haven't had as many reviews as I hoped so far. Glad you're enjoying the story. Keep reading because the best is yet to come. I have a whole lot more up my sleeves for Cloud, Harry, and the rest of the gang.


	19. Revelations

Disclaimer: Yeah, you know the drill folks. I don't own anything from FFVII or Harry Potter and I'm not making any money off this.

* * *

Chapter XIX

"Revelations"

"Will you hurry up?" Tifa asked impatiently as she sat on an infirmary bed. Madam Pomfrey was wrapping her wounded arm in bandages and was taking far too long for Tifa's tastes. "Don't you have a spell that can just zap the wound closed?

"It wouldn't take so long if you would just hold still," argued Madam Pomfrey as she finished tying off the bandage. Dumbledore waited patiently beside the bed, his hands held behind his back. Professor McGonagall stood beside him, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"Why on earth would Mr. Strife attack the students?" she asked to no one in particular. "There was no reason at all."

"Dark deeds caused by dark magic rarely need reason to happen," Dumbledore said softly before turning his attention back to Tifa. "Are you all right, my dear?"

"I'm fine," Tifa said sharply. "Can I get out of here now?"

"In a moment. First, I need to ask a few questions. I know Cloud has had," Dumbledore paused for a moment, searching for the right word, "problems of this nature before. Was this anything like before?"

Tifa looked away as she nodded.

"I see," worried Dumbledore. "Can you stop him when he behaves like this?"

"No," said Tifa. "He's too strong. I doubt even your magic could stop him when he's like that."

"This is most serious, Tifa. For both Cloud and the rest of the school," said Professor McGonagall. "Albus, we cannot allow him to stay here if he poses a danger to the students!"

"Now wait a second…" Tifa growled as she started to rise off the hospital bed. Dumbledore quickly held out his hand to stop her.

"That is enough of that, both of you," he scolded. "Cloud is one of my students and will remain as such for as long as he wishes to be. He remains welcome at Hogwarts as both student and guest." Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to protest, but Dumbledore's stare quieted her complaints.

Tifa smiled, enjoying watching the strict professor being put in her place. "Well, since that's all cleared up, I'm outta here," she said hopping off the hospital bed. Madam Pomfrey muttered a word of protest, but Tifa was already halfway out the door. Professor McGonagall immediately turned to Dumbledore.

"You can't let her leave, Albus. You know she's going to go after him!"

"I am quite certain she will," replied Dumbledore.

"But going into the Forest—at night no less—it's reckless and dangerous Albus!"

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "My dear Minerva, do you think any amount of us could possibly stop her? She has a particularly earth shattering right hook."

-VII-

Tifa raced up the moving staircases leading towards Gryffindor Tower, tripping on her long dress.

"I hate dresses," Tifa muttered as she ran. Suddenly, the floor beneath her started to rumble and shake. Tifa quickly reached out and grabbed the banister to keep from falling as the stairs began to change. Cursing, Tifa leapt from her staircase, flying over the empty chasm beneath her. She stepped down on the railing of another staircase and leapt again. She landed in front of the Fat Lady portal and fell when the heel on her left foot snapped off.

"Stupid pieces of junk," she cursed and tore the broken shoe off. She tossed it over her shoulder and listened to it as it clattered down the stairs. She threw her other shoe after it and stepped up to the sleepy painting.

"Password?" the Fat Lady yawned.

"_Exigo Pervalidus_," replied Tifa and the portrait swung open. Tifa ducked inside and entered the Gryffindor common room. She spotted Cloud's Hardedge propped up against one of the common room chairs; its square edge still stained a dull red from her blood. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were milling around it, waiting for her.

"What happened?" asked Harry. "What's going on?"

"Its happening again, isn't it? Cloud's being controlled again," interjected Hermione.

Tifa nodded as she brushed past the trio, not in the mood to waste time answering questions.

"Well, what do we do now?" wondered Ron. "He's like that Sephiroth guy now right? We can't fight him or anything!"

"You won't have to," Tifa said as she walked out of the common room and headed for her dormitory. She could still hear Harry, Hermione, and Ron talking back and forth in the common room, but she didn't care. She knew what she had to do.

-VII-

Tifa slammed open the girl's dormitory door, startling Lavender Brown and the Patiltwins, who were already in bed.

"Where's the fire?" Lavender groaned. "There are people trying to sleep you know."

Tifa didn't waste the time to reply. She ran right to her trunk and pulled out her clothes, the clothes from back home. Tifa tore off her slinky dress, not caring when the fabric tore and dressed in her tank top and short skirt. She slipped on her Premium Hearts gloves and, in a secondary thought, tucked her wand into her boot. Tifa grabbed a small pack from her trunk and left the dormitory, slamming the door behind her.

Tifa ran across the Gryffindor Tower and kicked open the door to the boy's dormitory. As Tifa walked right into the room, Neville gave a small yelp of surprise and quickly pulled his blanket over an odd shaped lump on his bed before he rolled off his bed, landing hard on the floor. Nanaki was lying on Cloud's bed, he immediately jumped off and padded over towards Tifa. Tifa greeted him with a scratch behind his ears and headed towards Cloud's trunk.

Cloud's trunk had a thick lock on it, he didn't want any of the others touching or playing with his sword. He would have preferred to keep it on him at all times, but Dumbledore had asked him not to in his letter before term. The lock was heavily charmed so no unlocking or blasting spells would work on it.

Tifa looked at the lock and popped it open with a single yank. She threw aside the lock and opened the trunk. The trunk was nearly empty; Cloud didn't have too many possessions. Only an extra sword sheathe, his bag of Materia, a pair of black jeans and t-shirt, and the small pouch of sword jewels laid at the bottom of the trunk. Tifa pushed the clothes aside, not seeing Cloud's SOLDIER uniform anywhere.

'He must have worn it under his costume,' she realized and began to rummage through the rest of the truck. She removed the spare sheathe and quickly strapped it to her back. She tossed the sword jewels into the corner of the trunk, out of her way, and stuffed the black pants and t-shirt into her pack.

Tifa opened the Materia pouch last. The bag was full of red, yellow, blue, purple, and green orbs. She dug into the pouch and pulled out 3 small green orbs marked Restore, Heal, and Life.

"I better not need these," Tifa muttered under her breath as she slid the Materia into the slots built into her left glove. She slammed the trunk closed and reattached the lock, standing up to leave.

"And you're coming with me," Tifa said to Nanaki. The Fire Lion swished his fiery tail and walked towards the dormitory door, as if he completely understood what was going on. Tifa smiled at him as she walked out of the boy's dormitory, tightening the Buster Sword sheathe as she went.

-VII-

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Hermione as Tifa and Nanaki walked back into the common room. "You can't go after him tonight, it's too dangerous!"

"It's not up for discussion," Tifa replied as she picked up the Hardedge. She wiped the sword against the hem of her skirt, cleaning the blood stain off it. She lifted it up and awkwardly slid it into it's sheathe. She stepped forward and nearly tripped, not used to the uncomfortably placed weight.

Tifa straightened out and stood before her friends. They positioned themselves between her and the door. "Get out of the way."

"No way," said Ron, crossing his arms.

"It's too dangerous out there at night, even for you," Hermione argued, pulling her wand out.

"Put your wand away Hermione," Tifa sighed. "I don't want to hurt you."

Hermione stood her ground. "I'll take my chances." She elbowed Ron and he reluctantly drew his wand as well.

Tifa craned her head to the right and looked at Harry. "What about you? You gonna aim your wand at me too?"

Harry looked at her then back at his friends, torn between what to do.

"Let her go."

Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. "Harry, you can't be serious?"

"You can't stop her Hermione," said Harry, his voice calm and steady. "No one on the planet could right now. Besides, would we do any different if we were in her position?"

Hermione started to open her mouth to argue, but hung her head instead. Harry was right. She stepped aside and Ron followed suit.

"Thanks," whispered Tifa sincerely as she led Nanaki quickly out of the portrait hole, banging the tip of Cloud's sword against the doorway as she ducked through.

-VII-

Hagrid was waiting besides his hut, crossbow in hand, as Tifa and Nanaki approached the Forbidden Forest.

"Figured you'd be comin' by," he greeted as he stepped in-between Tifa and the Forest. "Dumbledore didn't want ye goin' into the Forest by yerself so he asked me to go with ya."

"Thanks," Tifa replied as she walked towards him without slowing. "But you're not coming."

"What was that? I thought I heard ye say somethin' crazy," Hagrid said as he cocked his head and plugged one of his sausage-sized fingers in his ears, twisting it around to clean out the earwax.

Tifa opened her mouth to tell Hagrid not to waste his time when the sound of a tree splintering and crashing down somewhere deep in the Forest cut her off. A deep monstrous bellow followed the crashing tree and made the hairs on the back of Tifa's neck stand on end.

"What de hell was dat?" wondered Hagrid as he turned around to look into the Forest. When he turned back around, Tifa was gone. Hagrid spun around in a circle, looking for the girl. He stopped in the direction of the Forest and watched as the bright tip of Nanaki's tail slipped into the dark woods.

"Well dat could've gone better," Hagrid muttered as he scratched the back of his shaggy head.

-VII-

Tifa raced through the Forbidden Forest, ducking under low hanging branches. The Forest was dark and gloomy. A thick layer of fog rolled over the ground, hiding upraised roots just waiting to be tripped on. Tifa could hear water dripping off in the distance and sees pairs of eerie colored eyes staring at her from the shadows. Tifa ran in what she hoped was the direction the roar came from. But the Forest was so vast she couldn't tell where exactly she was going, or where she had been.

Tifa snagged her ankle on a hidden root as she ran, falling face first into a puddle of murky water.

"Stupid root," she murmured and picked herself up. As she brushed dead leaves off her skirt, a glint of metal caught her eye. She walked towards it, carefully avoiding other hidden roots, and plucked it up. It was a piece of Cloud's costume, a chuck of mirror-like armor. The scrap of armor gave her hope and an idea.

"Come here boy," Tifa said and held the scrap of costume out in front of Nanaki. The Fire Lion crept forward and sniffed at the armor. He immediately recognized Cloud's scent and began wagging his fiery tail happily.

"That's it, good boy," cooed Tifa. "Now go find Cloud, ok?"

Nanaki bobbed his head up and down in a funny kind of nod before turning around and sprinting into the Forest. Tifa smiled and ran after Nanaki, barely able to keep up over the difficult terrain.

Deeper in the Forest, Nanaki spotted another piece of Cloud's armor tangled in the needles of a pine tree. Tifa slowed her running and stood besides him, underneath the tree. Tifa reached up and grabbed the bit of armor, turning the metal over in her hands. A long swatch of dark colored cloth was hanging off another branch nearby. Tifa recognized it as part of Cloud's SOLDIER uniform. She pulled it down and inspected it carefully. The cloth was damp from the fog rolling around the Forest and one side was nothing but a jagged and blood stained rip.

Tifa touched the cloth lightly. The blood was still slick and wet; Cloud had to have been here recently and was hurt. Tifa was concentrating so hard on the cloth that she didn't hear the sound of Nanaki growling or the approaching hoof beats until they were nearly on top of her.

The Centaurs quickly surrounded Tifa and Nanaki, bows and spears in their hands, quivers of arrows across their human backs. The herd was five strong and each half man-half horse had its weapon drawn and pointed at Tifa; two of them stood with loaded bows and the others with large jagged spears.

"Who are you?" demanded a wild looking Centaur with black hair and tail. "How dare you enter our forest after the insults we bore last year! Identify yourself and state your purpose here!"

Tifa stood on the balls of her feet and fought to keep her hands at her sides. "My name is Tifa Lockheart and I'm looking for my friend. And I wasn't here last year, so take it easy with the weapons?"

"We'll do no such thing," growled a Centaur with thin arms and a hazel colored mane and tail. "We are not the ignorant half-breeds your kind thinks we are!"

The black Centaur stomped towards Tifa, his large spear pointed at Tifa. "Leave now or we shall remove you by force."

Tifa stood tall against the Centaur's threats. "Listen whatever your name is, I don't have any problem with you and the rest of—whatever you are. I'm looking for a friend, he ran into the Forest a little while ago."

The herd of Centaurs stomped their hooves angrily and uttered curses in their own grunting and snorting language. They waved their spears in the air and stepped closer towards Tifa.

"Bane, she must mean The Other," the hazel colored Centaur said to the wild black one.

"Of course she means The Other, Tanis," Bane growled. Bane turned back to Tifa. "Leave. Your friend is beyond all help."

"You saw him? Tell me where he is!" Tifa yelled.

"You are in no position to make demands," Bane said roughly and shook his head from side to side. The herd of Centaurs closed in on Tifa and brandished their weapons.

"Tell me where he is Pony Boy," Tifa growled through her teeth. She slipped off the cumbersome Hardedge, setting in down gently, and stepped into her fighting stance and stared at the Centaurs. Nanaki stood at her side, snarling and flashing his sharp white teeth. The Centaurs, bristling over the Pony Boy comment, seethed in anger as they glared at Tifa and Nanaki. The stand off lasted only a moment.

A Centaur standing behind Bane was the first to flinch; his bow arm wavered and released a barbed arrow at Tifa. The arrow whistled through the air and flew at Tifa's face. At the last second, Tifa plucked it out of the air between her fore and middle fingers. She deftly twisted the arrow between her fingers for a moment and then snapped it in half.

The Forest suddenly came alive with stomping hooves, snapping bows, and thrusting spears. The Centaurs lashed out with furious anger and speed; those wielding spears charged like heavy cavalry, the black Centaur named Bane led the charge. Those with bows stood back and fired arrow after arrow at Tifa.

Tifa dropped the remains of the arrow in her hand and met the Centaurs head on. She skillfully dodged arrow after arrow and leapt over Bane, using his equine back as a stepping stone. She flipped in midair, twisting like a corkscrew, and slammed down into the ground, fists first. The impact knocked the Centaur Archers sprawling onto the ground. Tifa didn't waste any time and leapt off the ground, tackling the spear carrying Centaur to Bane's left. A quick left and right combo finished the job.

Meanwhile, Nanaki entered the fight. He leapt onto the back of the hazel colored Centaur named Tanis. Tanis screamed, a strange horse-human hybrid of a sound, as Nanaki dug his sharp claws into his back. He bucked Nanaki off, sending the Fire Lion into a small tree. Nanaki struck the tree hard, but landed nimbly on all four feet. Anger glistened in his green eyes and the flame on his tail grew larger and hotter. Nanaki took in a deep breath, swelling up his chest, and blew out a great burst of fire out of his mouth. The fireball swirled at Tanis and the Centaur galloped away before he was badly burned.

"You'll pay for this!" Bane snorted at Tifa, stomping his hooves and waving his spear. He charged at Tifa, the glistening spearhead aimed right for her heart. Tifa stood in her fighting stance and waited. Bane thrust his spear forward and Tifa sidestepped it at the very last second. The shiny spearhead, made of stone and Centaur magic, stood no chance against the enchanted metal of Tifa's Premium Hearts. The spearhead shattered against the back of Tifa's gloves, splintering the wooden spear shaft in half.

Bane cried out in shock and terror as Tifa swiftly grabbed underneath his arms and lifted his entire equine body effortlessly over her head. Bane gave a shrill whinny and shook his arms and legs in a futile effort to escape. Tifa held on tightly and crouched down on her powerful legs. She leapt off the ground, taking Bane with her. She flipped twice in midair before hurling Bane back down to the ground. The Centaur landed hard, sending out a shockwave that shattered dead logs and scattered fallen leaves into the air.

Tifa landed softly on the ground next to the barely conscious Bane. Nanaki strode up to her and sat down at her side.

"Good boy," she said to the Fire Lion and scratched behind his ears. The corners of Nanaki's velvety muzzle lifted in a sort of smile while Bane let out a low, moaning sound. Tifa stopped scratching Nanaki and glared at the Centaur. She bent down and removed her wand from her boot.

"Lumos," she whispered and the tip of her wand glowed. She thrust the tip into Bane's face and watched his partially swollen eyes focus open in fear.

"Where's my friend?" Tifa demanded, her eyes burning with rage.

-VII-

Tifa raced through the Forest canopy, leaping from tree to tree. Jumping across the tree branches was much faster than pushing through the thick underbrush. Nanaki made this way along the forest floor below, sniffing out a trail.

'Bane said Cloud was in a clear somewhere up ahead,' Tifa thought. 'Gods I hope he's ok.'

Nanaki suddenly let out a deep growl and bounded towards a thick clustering of trees as fast as he could. In a second, he disappeared into the wall of trees.

Tifa followed after him, jumping faster through the canopy. The thick wall of trees quickly appeared in front of her. She coiled her body like a spring and leapt at the wall. She crossed her arms over her face and kept her legs tight against her body for protection as she crashed into the wall of trees. Branches shattered against her body and scratched against her skin as she slammed through the wall and into a large, circular clearing.

Tifa landed hard and skidded to a stop on the grassy ground. The full moon poured into the clearing, casting a pale glow on everything. Tifa saw Nanaki pacing back and forth, his fur bristling and his eyes fixed on the center of the clearing. His mouth was an open snarl and the flame on his tail was flickering violently. Tifa turned her head and looked at what Nanaki was staring at.

Cloud stood in the middle of the clearing, haggard looking and breathing heavily. His knight's armor was long gone. He had worn his SOLDIER uniform underneath the armor. The uniform shirt was gone, the bottoms in tattered shreds. His exposed flesh was bruised and was covered in numerous scratches and cuts.

"Cloud!" Tifa shouted and she started to run towards her best friend. "What's going on? What happened?"

Cloud turned at the sound of her voice, his eyes wide with panic. "No! Stay back!" he shouted as the two Night Trolls that murdered Nanaki's family stormed into the clearing. Their inky black skin glistened wet in the moonlight and their bodies looked as battered and bruised as Cloud's.

The sight of the Night Trolls drove Nanaki into a rage. His tail flame exploded like a rocket and the Fire Lion raced at the much larger monsters.

"Nanaki, NO!" shouted Tifa, but it was too late. Nanaki leapt onto the back of the larger of the two Trolls, tearing into the monster's shoulder with his sharp claws and teeth. The Troll howled in pain and reached up with its other arm, plucking Nanaki off its shoulder. Nanaki struggled within the Troll's hand and latched his jaws onto one of the Troll's giant fingers. The Troll snarled with rage and annoyingly snapped its hand in the air. Nanaki's grip on the finger broke and he flew through the air, slamming into one of the trees surrounding the clearing. He fell to the ground with a high pitched yelp, struggled to get to his feet, and fell back down.

Cloud pulled his sword off Tifa's back and ran at the larger Troll. The pulling spun Tifa around in a circle and she nearly flopped onto the ground.

She recovered quickly and watched as Cloud leapt at the Troll, slashing his sword at the Night Troll. Tifa turned and glared at the other Troll, the smaller one, though it was still nearly as large as Hagrid. Tifa cracked her knuckles and stretched her neck from side to side before rushing at the Troll.

Tifa attacked the Troll on the run, lashing out with a leaping dropkick to the monster's barrel chest. She hit hard, knocking the Troll back a few steps. Tifa fell to the ground cursing under her breath. The Troll recovered quickly and swiped its ragged claws at Tifa. Tifa rolled away from the Troll and back onto her feet. She quickly threw a vicious kick at the Troll's leg. The leg gave out and the Troll fell to its knees. Tifa continued her assault, unloading combinations of lefts and rights into the Troll's gruesome face.

The Troll was dazed by Tifa's attack, but still had enough brains to retaliate. It reached out and snagged Tifa's ankle with its massive hand. It yanked Tifa's leg out from under her and lifted her off the ground.

"No fair!" yelled Tifa as the Troll dangled her in the air like a child's toy. Tifa struggled and managed to land a glancing blow across the Troll's face with her other foot. The Troll snarled at her and flung her across the clearing with all its might. Tifa flew through the air and managed to twist her body around at the last minute. Instead of crashing headfirst into a large, misshapen Walnut tree, Tifa landed on the tree with her legs firmly set against its truck. Using her left hand for balance, Tifa hovered on the side of the tree, defying gravity.

Using the tree as a springboard, Tifa dove at the Troll, spearing her shoulder into its flabby gut. The Troll hunched over, gasping for air. Tifa landed at the Troll's feet and quickly took advantage.

She stood over the Troll and hooked both her arms behind the Troll's head. Tifa pulled down hard on the Troll's head while simultaneously driving her knee upwards. Tifa's knee crashed on the bridge of Troll's flat nose, shattering it. Tifa drove her knees into the Troll's face over and over again until the Troll's face was nothing more than a bloody crater of flesh. She let go of the Troll's head and it let out a single wet groan of pain before slumping to the ground unconscious.

Meanwhile, Cloud hacked and slashed at the larger Troll with his sword, scoring dozens of cuts on the monster's arms, head, and chest. Black blood poured out of the Troll's wounds as Cloud jumped into the air, his sword high above his head.

Cloud swung his sword down at the Troll, looking to cleave it in two. At the last second, the Troll lashed out with its bleeding hand and slapped the flat side of the sword, knocking the Hardedge out of Cloud's hands. The sword flipped in the air twice before its tip buried in the ground nearby.

The blow knocked Cloud out of the air and onto the ground. He looked up just in time to see a massive claw swing down at him.

Cloud rolled under the Night Troll's claws and sprang up, landing a solid uppercut of his own under the Troll's triple chin. The Troll's head barely moved from the blow and it quickly retaliated, grabbing Cloud with both hands.

Cloud met the Troll's hands with his own, their fingers intertwining in a strange looking test of strength. The Troll's hands dwarfed Cloud's as they wrestled back and forth for a moment. The Troll's sheer size slowly began to overpower Cloud and it drove the young man to his knees. It pushed down on Cloud, straining his wrists back. Cloud let out a groan of pain and the Troll made a grotesque grunting laugh. Still holding Cloud's hands back, the Troll pulled back one of its tree truck sized legs and brutally kicked Cloud in the chest, punting Cloud across the clearing.

Cloud skipped across the ground like a flat stone over water, gouging deep trenches in the grass as he skidded to rest at the bottom of a large black Oak at the edge of the clearing.

Tifa gasped as Cloud careened into the tree. She left the slowly recovering Nanaki and starts to run for Cloud. The Night Troll sees her running and starts charging towards her.

Tifa knelt at Cloud's side, lightly shaking him awake. His eyes fluttered open and Cloud looked up at Tifa. And the monstrous Troll bearing down on them.

"Look out!" shouted Cloud and he roughly shoved Tifa out of the way. Cloud clenched his teeth in hard concentration and threw his left hand out at the Troll.

-VII-

Tifa rolled with Cloud's shove, somersaulting on the grass. She turned and saw the Troll lunging at Cloud and Cloud holding his left hand up to stop the rampaging monster. Tifa screamed a warning to Cloud, but was drowned out by the charging Troll's savage roars.

Suddenly, intense white light sprung out of Cloud's outstretched hand. The light swept across the entire clearing, growing brighter and brighter.

Tifa turned away from the blinding light, burying her face in her arms. Behind her, Tifa could hear the two Troll's roaring in agony and then suddenly go silent.

The light faded and Tifa picked herself up. Cloud was gone. She ran to the Black Oak tree and searched for Cloud, but found nothing. All she heard was a soft fluttering sound in the trees. Tifa searched the tree line, but still found nothing. She turned back to the clearing and assessed the damage.

The wide cone of grass in front of the Black Oak was burnt black, dead. Within the cone were the bodies of the Trolls, the one that charged Cloud as well as the one Tifa knocked unconscious. Both were dead, their bodies husks of charred flesh. The clearing stank of scorched, rotten meat.

Nanaki limped lightly towards the bodies, sniffing the ground as he approached. He reached out with a claw and poked the body of the Troll that threw him earlier. The monster's body crumbled to ash at his touch.

Tifa walked up to the injured Fire Lion and worked her hand through his small mane.

The fluttering sound, soft against the backdrop of the Forbidden Forest, came from above them. Nanaki looked up and sniffed the air, the cackles on the back of his neck rising underneath his fur.

Tifa noticed Nanaki looking upward and her own eyes followed into the sky. Her knees buckled and Tifa had to steady herself against the big Black Oak tree.

Cloud floated in the sky above her, a single great wing of white feathers jutting out of his left shoulder. The wing flapped up and down, casting down strong gusts of wind and blowing back Tifa's hair.

Tifa stumbled backwards, her eyes wide open in shock. Images of the Nibelhiem reactor flashed through her head. Of the North Crater. Of Sephiroth's similar wings…

"Oh gods no… A One Winged Angel!" she gasped before the world spun out of control and faded into darkness.

* * *

Author's Notes:

And the plot thickens... Does anyone else have Sephiroth's theme song going through their head? Hope you all liked this chapter and I hope everyone who reads drops me a review. I don't get alot of feedback on this story and I want some help on this story. I have alot of ideas for this fic and would like some good readers to bounce them off of. So click on that little button that says review and drop me a line. Please give me some suggestions, complaints, whatever. Just try to say something more than just "plz update" or whatever. Also, I do my best to respond to everyone who leaves a tag for me to respond to. The blank reviews are getting harder to respond to, since doesnt like it when you respond in the update or whatever. So leave those reviews with pennames so I can respond.

Happy Reading.


	20. Confessions

Chapter XX

"Confessions"

"Tifa?"

"Tifa, wake up."

Tifa heard Cloud's voice cut through the darkness and her eyes began to flutter open. The Forest began to come back into vision. She was propped up against the big Black Oak tree, Nanaki curled up in a warm little ball at her side. Tifa's eyes began to focus and she saw Cloud standing over her, his wing folded against his back.

Tifa's eyes snapped fully open at the sight of the wing and she scrambled backwards until she hit the tree.

"Oh gods, it's real! Why couldn't it all be a dream?!" she screamed.

"Calm down Tifa. It's ok," Cloud said softly, trying to calm her down. But Tifa was becoming hysterical.

"How? How is this ok? You…you…WING!" she stammered and pointed at the glowing feathers sprouting out of Cloud's shoulder. "Do you even know what you look like? Who you look like?!" Cloud nodded solemnly and reached out to touch Tifa's shoulder.

"Don't touch me you monster!" she screamed and slapped his hand away.

Cloud froze, his hand hanging in midair. "Tifa…"

"Just leave me alone," Tifa whispered and turned her back to Cloud, wrapping her arms around herself. Cloud didn't move, he just stared at her. His enhanced senses could hear Tifa's tears splashing against the blades of grass. Sickly pain stabbed through his stomach and a thick lump formed in his throat.

Cloud closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in concentration. The bright glow coming from his wing dimmed and the wing itself began to shrink. Intense pain speared through Cloud's back, chest, and arm as his body reabsorbed the wing.

Darkness swept over the clearing and Cloud fell onto his hands and knees. Sweat poured off his face and his breath came in ragged gasps. It took him several seconds to recover and get back onto his feet. Cloud fumbled blindly in the dark towards Tifa, tripping and stumbling over sticks and broken branches.

Tifa heard his approach, but didn't acknowledge him. She hugged herself tighter and squeezed her eyes shut.

Cloud pressed himself against her back and wrapped his arms around her. Tifa struggled against him for a moment, but Cloud wouldn't budge. Tifa turned around inside his arms, burying her face in his chest. Full of frustration and anger, she pounded her fists into Cloud's bare chest. Cloud grimaced and his body flinched from Tifa's blows, but he made no move to stop her. He just held her tighter as she let it out.

Tifa's punches began to lose their strength as her emotions overwhelmed her. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Tifa's arms slumped to her sides and tears began to fall. Tifa began sobbing heavily, tears streaming down her face and onto the remains of Cloud's uniform shirt. And until the last tear was shed, Cloud held her in his arms.

-VII-

Cloud and Tifa sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree, their legs dangling off the side. Nanaki slept beneath them, his flickering tail the only source of light in the clearing.

"What happened?" Cloud whispered as he stared at his feet. He still couldn't bring himself to look Tifa in the eye.

"You don't remember?" Tifa asked.

Cloud shook his head. "One minute I'm standing beside you at the food tables and the next I was standing over you with blood on my hands and face. All I remember was the pain and Sephiroth's voice in my head. What did I do? I didn't hurt anybody did I?"

"Just me," Tifa smiled lightly, showing off her bandaged arm.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok, it's just a scratch. That stupid nurse made too big a deal of it."

Cloud continued to stare at his feet. "I can't believe I attacked you."

Tifa bit her lip. "You didn't." Cloud paled as Tifa continued. "You went after Harry and that girl he was dancing with. They didn't see you coming until you were right on top of them. I jumped and knocked them out of the way before you could cut them in half."

"I'm sorry," Cloud apologized again and ran both his hands through his spiky hair. "I haven't blacked out and lost control since…"

"Since you handed Sephiroth the Black Materia," Tifa finished, her voice colder than she intended. "I saw your eyes Cloud. They were green and empty and lifeless until you cut me. You were being controlled again."

"How? We broke Sephiroth's control in Mideel, remember?"

"Of course I remember," said Tifa. "You never forgot something like that. But I know what I saw back there Cloud. You have to know something about why you're all, I don't know, One Winged."

Cloud hung his head. "I think it all started when we fought Sephiroth in Diagon Alley," he said quietly. "Maybe it was being so close to him again or maybe it's all the damn magic around here, but my body started going out of control after that."

Sudden realization dawned on Tifa's face. "That's when you started slipping off and disappearing every night."

Cloud nodded with a small smile. "I thought extreme and constant training would help me control it."

"It? What It?" Tifa asked nervously. "Where did an It come from?"

"The JENOVA cells in my body," Cloud answered. "Something or someone has awakened them. I've never been stronger or faster, but it's getting harder to control."

"So when you crushed that Bludger it was because you lost control?" asked Tifa and Cloud nodded. "Well, what else can you do?"

"I don't know?" Cloud admitted. "Aside from the greater strength and speed and stuff, all I've been able to do is sprout a giant feathery wing out of my shoulder."

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Tifa hopped off the tree trunk and walked a few feet away. She held her head down and fiddled with her glove straps. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Cloud didn't answer right away; he didn't know what to say. "I…I didn't want to worry you."

"You didn't want to worry me," Tifa repeated angrily. "I'm not some weak little girl Cloud. I was there with you through everything that happened back home. You should have told me from the start." Tifa turned around and glared at Cloud. "You're not keeping any other secrets from me are you?"

Cloud stared at his boots.

"You are!" Tifa shouted. "You better come clean right now Cloud or I swear I'll get Hermione to make enough Veritaserum to drown you in."

Cloud laughed lightly at Tifa's threat. Tifa put her hands on her hips and glared at Cloud. His laughter quickly faded to a small smile, but when Tifa put her hands on her hips and glared at Cloud, the smile quickly disappeared. "Alright, alright," he said. "There is one other thing I need to show you."

Sudden fear washed over Tifa. "You're not going to transform into a giant zombie monster with tentacles, are you?"

Cloud shook his head as he hopped off the tree trunk. "It's too dark out here. Do you have your wand? I think I left mine back in the dormitories."

Tifa pulled her wand out of her boot and, with a quick "Lumos", ignited its tip like a bright candle.

Cloud stood in front of Tifa and ripped off the remaining fringe of his SOLDIER uniform top left near his oversized belt with his right hand. Tifa stared at his thin, but muscular chest, slightly embarrassed, until Cloud stepped closer to the light. Tifa's embarrassment turned to sudden shock when she saw the long and jagged scar occupying the middle of Cloud's chest.

"How did you get that?" she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from the scar. "Where did you get that?"

"North Crater."

Tifa stopped looking at the scar and stared at Cloud confused. "When? I was with you the whole time, except…"

"Except for when I fell into the Lifestream and fought Sephiroth," Cloud interrupted.

"But you said you won, you beat him. Didn't you?"

Cloud shook his head. "I lost Tifa. I died."

-VII-

Tifa stumbled backwards, uncertain how to process this new information. "Died…what do you mean you died? How…there's no way, I mean you're standing right here."

"I'm telling you the truth," Cloud said quietly.

"Are you some kind of ghost?" Tifa asked. She reached out and squeezed Cloud's bicep, reassuring herself that he was flesh and blood. "Ok, if you're not a ghost or whatever, then what happened?"

Cloud hesitated for just a second. "I traveled through the center of the planet and into the heart of the Lifestream. It was beautiful, twisting through all those tunnels and caves underground. At least it was until everything opened up into a massive cavern and he was waiting for me. As soon as I landed in the cavern, we started fighting."

"You fought him alone?" Tifa gasped. "That's insane!"

"There wasn't much I could do about it at the time. The fight went back and forth for a little while, but he was just toying with me." Cloud let out a disgusted snort of a laugh. "He picked me apart like it was the first time I ever picked up a sword. I was bleeding all over the place and he didn't even have a scratch on him.

Cloud began to pace back and forth in front of Tifa, his hands clenched into tight, trembling fists. "He started taunting me and I lost control. I attacked in blind rage and he…well you can see the scar."

"You really died," Tifa whispered. "What happened then?"

"Aeris saved me."

"Huh? Cloud, Aeris was, you know, a long time before we even reached North Crater."

"She was waiting for me in the Lifestream or wherever the hell I found myself after Sephiroth stabbed me. She was playing ball with some little kid," Cloud said with a little smile. "Figures ya know. I mean what else would she be doing, right? She told me the truth about Sephiroth and how he was being controlled by Voldemort. She even made me promise not too kill him."

"Aeris always was too trusting and forgiving for her own good," Tifa commented.

"I didn't think she saw all this coming," Cloud replied. "Anyway, she sent me back and well, you know the rest."

-VII-

Tifa didn't speak for a while after Cloud told his story. She just stood against the fallen tree, taking everything in. It was a lot of information to take in and one thing in particular was bothering her.

"What did Sephiroth say that set you off?" she asked.

Cloud started pacing again. He hesitated before saying: "He went into my head, made me see things."

"What did you see?"

"I was back in the Ancient City, just like before. Everything was the same, except you were the one on the alter."

"Me?"

"Sephiroth attacked from above again. I watched his sword pass right through you just like it did to Aeris. And I was helpless to stop him again!" Cloud growled through clenched teeth, his breathing becoming shorter and frantic. "I had to watch him kill you and I couldn't take it. I couldn't take watching him hurt someone I love!"

Tifa's eyes popped wide open and a lump lodged in her throat at the word love.

Cloud saw her reaction and quickly turned away. "I shouldn't have said that," he uttered embarrassingly. He began to pick up the remains of his SOLDIER uniform when he felt Tifa's soft touch on his arm.

"Tifa, I…" Cloud started to say as he turned around, but was cut off by Tifa taking his face in her hands and kissing him on the lips.

The kiss was shy at first and then began to grow in passion as Cloud and Tifa's bottled up feelings for one another surfaced. Cloud wrapped his arms around Tifa's waist, drawing her body against his. Tifa slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

The pair slowly sank down onto the cool, soft grass as the moon and stars peeked out from behind the clouds, relighting the clearing in its pale light.

Meanwhile, Nanaki lay forgotten beneath the fallen tree. He yawned loudly and rolled onto his back, thankful that his two humans had finally stopped all their noisy talking, and went happily back to sleep.

-VII-

It was nearly dawn when Cloud and Tifa emerged hand in hand from the Forbidden Forest, Nanaki padding along beside them. The sky was hazy and grey with a morning fog rolling in off the nearby mountains. It was colder outside the Forest and clouds of steam billowed out of everyone's mouth as they walked towards Hagrid's Hut.

Cloud's uniform top was completely shredded; his pants were tattered and ragged. The spare clothes Tifa brought with her were equally useless; they were soaked in mud and full of arrow holes from the Centaurs. He walked bare chested, his sword was strapped to his back once again and the remains of his uniform were stuffed in a makeshift pouch tied to his sword strap. Tifa was very tired and her clothes were very dirty from her trek through the Forest, but she had a radiant smile etched across her face. Nanaki's flame and mane were slightly longer after the adventure in the Forest, but otherwise he was the same as he when he entered.

The grass in front of Hagrid's Hut was slick with dew. Hagrid and his boarhound Fang were both outside, fast asleep. Hagrid was asleep in a massive homemade chair with a furry and foul smelling blanket draped over his body. His crossbow was propped against the side of the chair. Fang was sprawled out on the ground between Hagrid's feet and picked his head up at Cloud, Tifa, and, most importantly, Nanaki's approach. Fang hadn't forgotten Nanaki's brief, but hair raising stay at Hagrid's Hut and he quickly hid behind Hagrid, whimpering and whining. Fang tugged on Hagrid's arm, waking the half-giant up.

"What's the matter with ya Fang?" Hagrid grumbled. "Some squirrels scare ya again?" Hagrid rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. "Oh, it's you three," he grumbled at Cloud, Tifa, and Nanaki. "You all caused a 'ell of a ruckus last night. Ah've never seen the Centaurs so riled up."

"Sorry," Tifa smiled nervously.

"Dey was out here armed to da teeth. Said you beat 'em up, looked like it too," Hagrid groaned as he stood up. "Dumbledore himself had to come out here in the middle of the night. He settled dem down though, explained things to em I guess. Great man Dumbledore, great man."

"And you!" Hagrid shouted, turning his attention to Cloud. Just what de 'ell is wrong with yer head, runnin' into da Forest like dat and worryin' lil' Tifa like dat?! You know she nearly ran right after you, hurt as she was! And den I hear about you fightin' and burnin' up Night Trolls! Ye should know better then dat! And what happened to yer clothes?!"

"How did you find out about the Trolls?" Cloud wondered.

"One of Aragog's kids told me," Hagrid explained before looking down at Nanaki. "You should take better care of them," he scolded, shaking his finger at the Fire Lion. Nanaki sat on his haunches and watched Hagrid's finger waggle in front of his nose. He bobbed his head in a kind of nodding agreement and gave Hagrid's finger a single lick before closing his teeth around the finger.

"YE-OWW!" Hagrid yelled as he pulled his hand away, popping his throbbing finger into his own mouth. Cloud and Tifa tried not to laugh and managed to suppress all but a few giggles.

Hagrid rolled his eyes and flopped back into his chair. "Ah what's the point? Yer just gonna do whatever ye what to do anyway. Just like Harry, Ron, and Hermione."

"We are sorry we caused all the trouble with the Centaurs," Tifa said genuinely.

"Eh, it's alright," smiled Hagrid. "They've been an antsy bunch for sometime now. Got a lot of pride, them Centaurs, especially Bane. Dey didn't like being called Pony Boy one bit." Hagrid started to laugh. "Personally, I thought it was rather funny."

Everyone broke into laughter; even Nanaki bared his teeth in a Fire Lion style smile.

"Well, since I'm up, might as well prepare fer class. I'm showin' the 4th years the Giant Bolt Bug I caught terrorizin' de greenhouse. Bugger nearly burned the place down. Ya want ta see him?" he asked with a hint of hopefulness.

Cloud and Tifa simultaneously shook their heads and took a step backwards.

"Sorry Hagrid, but, um, we should probably get going," said Cloud quickly.

"Yer right. Dumbledore mentioned dat he wanted to see you when ya got back. Just head right to his office, I'm sure his waitin' for ya."

"Thanks Hagrid," Tifa waved goodbye and they headed back towards the castle.

-VII-

The castle was still and quiet in the early morning, even the ghosts weren't up and about yet. Cloud, Tifa, and Nanaki slipped through the castle corridors and stairways quietly and unnoticed. Before long they reached the dancing hippos and stood in front of the stone gargoyles that guarded the Headmaster's door.

"How do we get in?" wondered Tifa.

"Last time I kinda lifted the statues out of the way and barged in. Dumbledore gave me a password though. Chocolate Gum Drop," he said to the statues. The gargoyle's dark eyes sparked for a moment before they moved aside, reveling the winding staircase leading to Dumbledore's office.

Cloud and Tifa ran up the stairs, Nanaki nipping at their heels, and knocked on the large oak door.

"Come in," came the reply and the door opened on its own. Dumbledore was standing beside his desk, pouring the contents of a large bottle into 5 glasses.

"Good morning," Professor Dumbledore greeted them as he replaced the bottle. "Would you like to join me in a drink? I keep a stock of Hokusai's Finest Fire Whiskey here for such occasions."

"Good morning Professor," said Tifa. "Um, isn't it a little early for Fire Whiskey?"

"Well that depends on the time relative to each particular person, my dear. You see for the students and professors lying in their beds still sleeping, then it is remarkably early. But for people who have been up all night, like us, time is relatively different. For us, it is actually remarkably late. And I think a drink right now would be rather appropriate considering recent events, don't you?"

Cloud and Tifa shrugged their shoulders in response to the Headmaster's strange logic, but accepted the offered cups all the same. Dumbledore placed another glass on the floor for Nanaki and the fourth was given to his Phoenix Fawkes.

"Is it alright for them to have Fire Whiskey?" asked Cloud, a combination of curious and concerned.

"Certainly," answered Dumbledore, like it was common knowledge. "Both Fire Lions and Phoenixes are magical creatures, born from the essence of fire. Fire Whiskey is distilled from this same essence. And it helps Fawkes as his annual molting and firing comes closer," Dumbledore explained before raising his glass. "Cheers. Oh, and congratulations on your new relationship."

Cloud and Tifa nearly choked on their drinks. "How did you know about that?" Tifa asked.

"There is very little that I don't know happening on my school grounds," Dumbledore said mysteriously. "Also, you were holding hands as you came through the door."

Cloud and Tifa grinned sheepishly and quickly returned to their drinks. Dumbledore gave a grandfatherly laugh and drained his glass, burping a small blue fireball. The fireball singed the hairs of Dumbledore's massive beard, briefly looking like a wreath of burning fuses. Dumbledore swished his hand across his beard, putting out the puffs of flame.

"Well, now that we've had our drinks, I do believe there is a matter of some importance that needs to be discussed," he said seriously, drawing his wand. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured two chairs for Cloud and Tifa, and gestured for them to sit.

"Before she ran after you, Miss Lockheart offered me a brief, if not incomplete, explanation of what happened at the party," he said, taking a seat behind his desk. "Now I would like to hear the full story from you, Mr. Strife."

Cloud took a deep breath and began to retell his story, including his death and resurrection this time. Tifa sat beside Cloud and, when he reached the point of the story where he died, Tifa reached out and held his hand.

Like before, Dumbledore was an avid listener. He remained quiet and stern faced for the entire story, only furrowing his eyebrows when Cloud spoke of his resurrection.

"That certainly explains a few things," Dumbledore said, pointing his wand at his temple. He pulled a single silvery strand out of his head and placed it into a swirling silver basin behind his desk. "I find your resurrection to be most interesting. But that is another matter. When you lost control at the party, was anything different about how you lost control compared to before?"

"Like I said, I don't remember much. It was almost exactly as it was before."

"Almost?"

"Before, I would hear Sephiroth's voice in my head, forcing me to do whatever he wanted. This time the voice was a little different."

"How?" asked Dumbledore, leaning forward in his chair like Cloud's answer was direly important.

"His voice seemed distant, but it was still powerful. Kinda like a loud echo."

"Anything else?"

"There was a whisper in the background, underneath Sephiroth's voice. A girl's voice."

"Was her voice familiar at all?" Cloud shook his head. Dumbledore furrowed his brow in concentration. "A trigger perhaps."

"A trigger? What like a gun?" asked Tifa.

Dumbledore stood and walked out from behind his desk, his hands clasped behind his back. "A mental trigger. Since you broke Cloud's previous mental conditioning and neither Sephiroth nor Voldemort have direct access to his mind, then there has to be a third party invoking a spell."

"What kind of spell?" asked Cloud. "One of those Unforgivable thingies we keep hearing about?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, it is too difficult to cast an Imperius Curse without being seen or heard. I believe it was a variation of a memory charm, something to resurrect the memory of being controlled."

"So someone utters a little mumbo jumbo and I'm a puppet again, just like that? Great," growled Cloud and he stood up. He turned his back on Tifa and Dumbledore and walked across the room towards the portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses, his arms folded across his bare chest.

All the portraits were up and about, despite the early hours. Some looked at Cloud with pity and concern, others with slight distain and disgust.

"How dare you present yourself to the Headmaster in such a sloppy state. In my day, you would have been properly and severely punished!" one particularly pallid looking former Headmaster shouted.

"Shut up asshole," snapped Cloud, in no mood to deal with annoying pictures hanging from walls.

The portrait threw his hands up and opened his mouth in protest. "How dare you! Dumbledore! This insolent stinkspawn dared insult me! Me, a former Headmaster and a member of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black!"

"Calm yourself Phineas," Dumbledore called out calmly. "Go back to sleep, I'm sure he meant no offense." Phineas grumbled to himself and gave Cloud a parting glare before vanishing out of the portrait altogether.

"I apologize for his behavior," said Dumbledore. "Phineas is from a more arrogant and close-minded generation."

"Sorry I snapped," Cloud apologized. "Just a little frustrated about all this."

"I'm sure there is something we can do to help Cloud," said Tifa. "Right Professor?"

"There is something I think may work," answered Dumbledore. "Memory charms are a form of magical invasion into one's mind, much like Legilimency and Occlumency. They can be repelled with strong mental barriers."

"And you can teach me to create these things?"

"I believe so. I am rather skilled at Legilimency and Occlumency. I even have a training partner in mind," smiled Dumbledore. "Please return this afternoon during free period and we will begin.

"That's fantastic," Tifa said, her grin threatening to overwhelm her entire face. "You'll finally be able to fight back Cloud."

Cloud didn't say anything at first. The thought of finally being able to control his own body after everything that had happened, well it sounded almost too good to be true. Slowly, he looked up at Dumbledore.

"Thank you, sir," he said, a smile finally breaking across his face.

-VII-

Cloud and Tifa tiptoed out of Dumbledore's office, their faces shining with mixes of hope and relief. Nanaki playfully bounced along between them, his fiery tail snaking around their legs but not burning. They strolled through the castle, their steps free and lighter than they could ever remember. The first rays of sunlight poked through the windows, illuminating the dark corridors.

Hogwarts Castle, always so full of students and activity, was quiet and peaceful, and shone with a subtle beauty that a person would never see amidst the hustle and bustle of the school day. Now, it was as if the castle itself wanted to share in Cloud and Tifa's happiness.

The Fat Lady portrait was still asleep when they arrived at Gryffindor Tower. It took Tifa three tries to wake her up before she would move aside. The common room was empty and dark this early in the morning; the other Gryffindors were all still comfortably sound asleep in their beds. A magical fire sprang to life as Cloud walked past the fireplace, crackling and popping and warm.

Nanaki ran ahead of Cloud and bounded into one of the large overstuffed chairs. He turned around in a tight circle several times before flopping down on the cushion; his eyes fluttering closed, and let out a sigh of pure contentment before falling asleep.

"You know, I always wanted to ask Red why animals spin around like that before they lay down," Tifa laughed lightly.

"I think he'd say it was privileged knowledge or something," Cloud laughed back.

They both scratched Nanaki lightly on the head and whispered thank yous into his ears before walking towards the dormitory stairs. Cloud and Tifa stood on the landing where the stairs split off towards the boy's and girl's dormitories, underneath a large stain glass window. The colors of the window glowed from the sun, casting beams of colored light onto Tifa's shirt and Cloud's chest.

They lingered on the landing, unsure of exactly what they were supposed to do. Things had changed so much, so quickly and had whisked their relationship with one another into unknown territory.

"Tifa, I, um…" Cloud stammered nervously. He started shuffling his feet and suddenly felt like a little boy in Nibelhiem again.

Tifa laughed softly at Cloud's awkwardness. "Relax SOLDIER boy," she said. "It's still just me ya know."

"I wanted to say thanks, you know, for coming after me and all," he said, reaching out and taking her hand. "I don't think I could have ever…"

"It's ok Cloud. I'll just cancel out one of the thousand times you saved me before and call us even."

"So, um, what do we do now?" he asked. "I mean—"

"I know what you mean," Tifa smiled. "We've always been best friends. We're just taking what we already had to another level. Besides, there are a lot more benefits on the higher levels," she smiled and slipped her arms around Cloud's neck.

"I've noticed," he smiled just before their lips touched.

-VII-

Far away, deep inside the bowels of Voldemort's castle, Lucius Malfoy toiled endlessly on a trio of strange machines. A warped combination of Muggle technology and magic, the machines took up most of the space of the large room, their peaks nearly grazing the stone ceiling. Dozens of wires and spiraling tubes littered the floor and connected three glass chambers, each large enough for a full grown man to stand comfortably in, to a solid looking table in the center of the room. A table with shackles on all four sides.

"Is it ready?" Lord Voldemort asked as he slinked into the room. Wormtail followed closely behind his master, sniveling as usual.

"I'm just finishing the last connections now my lord. Calibrating so many precise magical devices with Mudblood gadgetry is proving difficult, despite many of your newer recruit's familiarity with Muggle technology," Lucius answered, his voice tensing when he mentioned Muggles and the Mudblood Death Eaters.

"A necessary measure Malfoy," Voldemort replied. "Go and fetch Bellatrix and the puppet Wormtail." Wormtail quickly ran off to do his Master's bidding, leaving Lord Voldemort and Lucius alone for a moment.

"My lord, are you certain we need this Muggle interference?" Lucius asked, his voice tensing once again on the word Muggle. "There must be away to achieve your plans without Mudblood interference."

"Do you not think I have tried?" Voldemort whispered, his voice dripping with venom. "Do you believe you are wiser and more powerful than Lord Voldemort? That you're sparse intellect and magical ability could possibly discover something that I could not?"

Lucius' face turned whiter than his hair. "No, no my lord. I could never be as wise or as powerful as my lord. I merely wanted to further understand your great plan."

Voldemort suddenly lashed out, backhanding Lucius across the mouth. Lucius fell to his knees, knocked back from the sudden assault and the Dark Lord's cold strength.

"Stop your miserable kowtowing Malfoy," sneered Lord Voldemort. You have the sincerity of an Inferius." He stood over Lucius and slowly slid his wand out of his cloak. "Get up Lucius. Finish the machine. I want everything ready before the puppet arrives."

Lucius stood, stumbling once, and bowed slightly before hurrying off to finish working. And as he fumbled with his wand and the clumsy Muggle tools, he did his best not to think of anything that would further anger the Dark Lord.

-VII-

Meanwhile, Wormtail scurried through the dungeons as a rat, stopping here and there to sniff the ground or air. He ran through cracks in the walls and around the unsuspecting feet of other Death Eaters. He took his time, investigating all the interesting smells he came across in the dungeons.

He reached the puppet's cell and his senses were immediately assaulted by the stench of sweat and blood.

'She's at it again,' he thought. 'Gods, she's been torturing him for days on end.' He returned to his human form and opened the door with a wave of his wand.

The cell was lit by a series of candles on a candelabra in one corner. The room was a dank, living thing; breathing sweat and blood. Sephiroth stood motionless against one wall, naked from above the waist. Blood dripped from multiple cuts on his chest, arms, and face. His body was a mass of violet and orange bruises and his hair was streaked pink with his own blood.

"Didn't the Master tell you not to damage him?" asked Wormtail as he entered.

"I didn't do anything permanent," Bellatrix laughed as she stepped out of the shadows and Wormtail quickly averted his eyes. Bellatrix was completely naked, her body glistened with sweat and the glowing medallion containing Sephiroth's soul dangled from a chain between her breasts. Her hair was a stringy mess of greasy locks, haphazard from running her hands through it. Her eyes were glassy and heavy from exhaustion and ecstasy.

"What do you want Wormtail?" she asked, standing in front of him, flaunting her body.

"I don't believe the Dark Lord would appreciate the things you two are doing down here," Wormtail muttered. "If I told him…"

"If you told him, he'd kill you first," Bellatrix responded. "Besides, we haven't done anything that the Dark Lord hasn't given me leave to do. Now what do you want?"

"The Master needs you and the puppet upstairs," Wormtail said, sneaking a peak at Bellatrix. "Right away."

Bellatrix laughed, "So Lucius finally finished." She looked at Sephiroth and pointed to the cot in the center of the room. "Sit," she ordered and he immediately obeyed. He sat down on the cot lotus style, his legs crossed beneath him and his hands resting lightly on his knees. His eyes remained unfocused and his breath soft. Within a few seconds, the cuts on his body healed over and vanished. The bruises also faded away until there wasn't a mark on him.

Bellatrix laughed again. "See, no harm no foul." She reached past Sephiroth and grabbed a set of black robes off the cot and shrugged them on, never taking off the glowing medallion. "Well, let's go see what my darling has planned for you today," she said and beckoned for Sephiroth to follow her with a crook of her finger. Sephiroth rose off the bed and walked out of the room past Wormtail.

"Do you know what the Dark Lord has planned?" Wormtail asked. He was frightened by all the machines and things Lucius was working on. But then again, Wormtail was afraid of nearly everything.

"No, I don't," Bellatrix answered as she walked out of the cell. "The Dark Lord does not share secrets in bed."

Wormtail shuddered and turned to walk out the door when it slammed shut in his face. "Wha—what are you doing?"

"Teaching you a lesson," answered Bellatrix from the other side of the cell door. "Next time I'd better not catch you looking at me." And with that she turned and walked away.

-VII-

Bellatrix and Sephiroth wound through the castle dungeons. Sephiroth prodded along behind Bellatrix slowly and softly.

"Keep up, would you," Bellatrix called harshly and pulled at Sephiroth's wrist. He stumbled forward and they quickened their pace. Soon they arrived outside the experiment room.

Bellatrix turned around and faced Sephiroth. She hooked her arms around his neck and pulled down hard on his head. "One last kiss in case the Dark Lord's toys destroy you," she whispered hurriedly before mashing her lips against Sephiroth's unmoving mouth. After a moment, she released him, straightened her robes, and opened the door.

The room was alive with the cackling of electricity and the whirl of Lucius' activated machines. Voldemort stood by the table in the center of the room. He gave Bellatrix a lipless smile and offered her his hand. Bellatrix floated across the room and fell into the Dark Lord, kissing him with a deep seeded lust.

"What took you so long?" Voldemort asked after the kiss ended.

"Wormtail took his time in summoning me," Bellatrix answered in not exactly a lie.

Voldemort nodded, not really caring. "Position the puppet on the table and strap it down tightly," he ordered as he stepped away from her.

"Here boy," Bellatrix cooed, patting the table. Sephiroth immediately obeyed and stood in front of the table. "Up, up, up," Bellatrix said and Sephiroth laid down on the table. Bellatrix had a large smile plastered across her face as she strapped Sephiroth's arms and legs to the table.

"My Lord, why do we need to strap him down? He isn't going to go anywhere," asked Bellatrix.

"If everything goes according to plan, this shall prove to be extremely painful," Voldemort answered with sick delight in his voice. "I cannot afford it to squirm in the process."

Bellatrix giggled with glee and strapped Sephiroth down tighter.

Lucius Malfoy was waiting in the wings for Voldemort to summon him again. He continually checked the magical/muggle connections to the machines and watched uneasily as Bellatrix finished strapping Sephiroth to the table.

"Malfoy!" called Voldemort. Lucius immediately rushed to his side, his head bent low.

"Yes, my lord."

"Make the connections," the Dark Lord ordered.

Lucius drew his wand and waved it at a large cluster of tubes and wires. Lucius separated them and attached long steel needles onto each of the tubes and electrodes to the ends of the wires. He placed the electrodes on Sephiroth's face and chest and inserted the long needles into Sephiroth's arms and neck. Lucius finished and stepped back from the table, allowing Voldemort to inspect the connections.

"Prepare the tanks," Voldemort ordered after poking some of the needles with his wand.

Lucius and the other Death Eater technicians raced around the room, grabbing jars of viscous fluids and strange looking magical devices whose very nature could only be perverse and dark.

Lucius took each jar, each strange device, and portioned them out into the three glass tubes.

"What's in those things?" asked Bellatrix.

"Water, a carefully measured portion of Nagini's venom, Invigoration Draught, Skele-Gro, Strengthening Solution, and a drop of the Dark Lord's blood in each tube," explained Lucius as he poured. Afterwards, he picked up a large silver knife and approached Sephiroth. He buried the knife into Sephiroth's chest, carving off 3 large chunks of Sephiroth's flesh. Sephiroth didn't make a sound, his body just clenched and strained against the straps. Lucius dropped the 4 chunks of flesh into the tanks, watching the flesh sink to the bottom. The wounds on Sephiroth's chest immediately began to heal, the fleshing rebuilding and knitting in seconds.

"The power of the puppet and the Dark Lord combined as one," he said as he finished adding the ingredients.

Voldemort nodded and reached his hand into his robes and removed a small locket and chain.

"What is that darling?" asked Bellatrix curiously.

"A trinket retrieved from Gringrotts during our raid on Diagon Alley," replied Voldemort. "This is the locket of my great ancestor Salazar Slytherin. And with its power, I will transform this world."

Voldemort placed the locket on the table Sephiroth's chest and waved his wand over his head.

"**_Ash Nazg Thrakatulûk Agh Burzum-ishi Krimpatul! _****Voldemort chanted. Immediately, the locket began to levitate off the table and spin wildly in the air. Green mist poured out from inside the locket, creating a cloud of vapor above the table.**

**With a flick of the wrist, Voldemort cut the cloud into three separate pieces. Another flick and the clouds floated lazily into each of the tanks.**

**Lucius and the other technicians quickly slammed down a trio of strange looking lids over the tubes. The lids were heavy hulks of metal with a large copper rod piercing through both sides.**

**"Activate the machines," Voldemort ordered. Lucius and the other technicians scrambled across the room, flipping switches and pressing buttons. Finally, Lucius slammed down a very large toggle and the machines sprang to life. Sparks flew across the room as electricity danced from tank to tank, arcing across the copper rods and into the concoctions of liquid and flesh.**

**Electricity raced down the wires and into Sephiroth, torturing his body. Sephiroth contorted and lashed against the straps as the lightning pumped into his veins. Sephiroth's blood pumped through the tubes and into the tanks.**

**The water and potion, flesh and blood mixture began to bubble and thicken along the bottom of the tank. With the steady pour of Sephiroth's blood, the mixture began to stretch from the bottom of the tube, filling the entire tank.**

**"It's working my lord!" Lucius exclaimed, just before a shower of sparks erupted from one of the machines. A loud grating noise filled the room and more sparks spat out of the machine. The electricity stopped dancing across the copper rods and into Sephiroth, cutting off the connection. The mixture in the tanks began sink back to the bottom of the tanks, falling apart on their way down.**

"What is it?!" roared Voldemort. "What's happening?!"

"The Mudblood's equipment is failing!" answered Lucius. His voice was an octave higher than usual, panicky and nervous. "There isn't enough power to maintain the connections! It's going to crash!"

"Damn your incompetence!" snarled Voldemort. He quickly moved in front of Sephiroth and rolled up his robe sleeves. He stretched his hands and long fingers towards Sephiroth's chest and the copper rods above the tanks.

"_Lunatus Luminare Maxima_!" Voldemort roared. Black bolts of lightning sprang out of his spidery fingers, shot across the room, and slammed into the copper rods. Bolts of energy began to dance out of control, carving deep gouges into the floor and walls, decimating the remaining machines. Bellatrix and Lucius dove for cover behind the melting heaps of scrap metal as the lightning storm blasted one of the Death Eater technicians into a pile of ash.

Sephiroth contorted with pain, straining against his bonds. The Dark Lord's eldritch lightning tore through his body, burning him from the inside out. The magic blasted away his skin and flesh, too powerful for even Sephiroth's healing abilities to compensate. The room quickly filled with the stench of ozone and burning, searing flesh.

The lightning reestablished the connection to the machines and dark blood pumped through the tubes again. Exposure to the lightning caused the mixture in the tanks to grow and change at an accelerated rate. The globs quickly formed distinctive shapes—human shapes. Organs and bone began to form first. Then veins and arteries as more of Sephiroth's blood pumped into the tanks. Finally, sleek and powerful muscle formed alongside alabaster skin and silvery hair. The three bodies floated lazily, eyes closed, bobbing against the walls of the tanks.

Voldemort let out a loud groan of effort as he drew the lightning back into himself. The black lightning didn't harm him, but the effort of bringing the massive lightning storm back under control and dissipating the spell took a great toll on his body. The storm ended with a single, final spark of black energy and Voldemort fell to one knee.

With a concerned gasp, Bellatrix ran out from behind one of the destroyed machines and raced to her lover and master's aid.

"Are you alright, my love?" she asked, dropping to the ground besides the Dark Lord and wrapping an arm around Voldemort's waist to steady him.

"I, I am fine," Voldemort said weakly. He gently removed Bellatrix arm and stood up on his own. "Check on the puppet. Did it survive?"

Bellatrix stood and peeked at the table. "I'm not sure," she said with a sadistic half smile. "You really did a number to those good looks."

Sephiroth lay on the table, still smoking from the lightning storm. Most of his flesh had been burnt into unrecognizable strips of blackened char and large portions of his hair had been singed away. The lightning had opened a large gash in his chest, reveling his ribcage and sternum. The room reeked with the stink of burnt meat.

Bellatrix reached out with her finger and hesitantly poked Sephiroth's burnt arm. The arm suddenly twitched and Bellatrix jumped back with a startled yelp. Sephiroth's body finally kick started its healing ability and the charred and broken flesh started to mend.

Lucius laughed at Bellatrix as he stepped out from behind another destroyed machine and walked in front of the tanks. He inspected the three beings floating in the tanks with an inspecting eye.

"Your puppet is healing, my lord, and I believe the experiment was a success. The three clones appear to be alive and in good health. It will only take a word from you to fully awaken them."

Voldemort smiled slightly as he stepped in front of the three tanks. "Awaken."

The three bodies floating in the tanks twitched; their fingertips and eyelids fluttering. The body in the middle tank was the first to fully awaken. His green eyes snapped open, his pupils contracting into cold and reptilian vertical slits. Voldemort watched in fascination as he brought his hands up in front of his face and flexed his fingers, his white face a marvel of fascination.

By now, the other two bodies in the tanks were awake and moving. Voldemort turned and nodded to Lucius. Lucius bowed slightly then waved his wand at the tanks. Instantly, a series of grates appeared on the floor and at the bottom of each tank. The remaining mixture of water and ingredients drained out of the tanks quickly and without much mess.

The three bodies, no longer suspended by the liquid, fell to the bottom of their individual tanks. The one in the middle was the first one to get up and stand on his own two feet.

Lucius waved his wand again and the glass tanks detached themselves from the tubes, wires, and heavy lids and lowered onto the ground. A third wave of the wand and the glass tanks themselves disappeared, spilling the three young men onto the floor.

"Stand up," Voldemort said and the three young men rose to their feet, shaky at first, but with growing confidence. Voldemort smiled. He pulled his wand out of his cloak and Voldemort whisked his wand over his head and a fine mist swept over three men. The mist settled over them, clothing them in black leather battle suits, much like Sephiroth's.

"Hello my children," he said softly, almost caringly. "As your Father of sorts, I suppose it is my duty to name you all." He walked in front of them, like a general inspecting his troops, and flicked his wand at them as he passed.

"Loz," Voldemort named the first one. He had the shortest hair of the three and the broadest shoulders. When Voldemort flicked his wand, a silvery piledriver-like weapon appeared over Loz's left forearm and hand.

Voldemort moved onto the young man in the middle and studied him for a moment. Something in the young man eyes intrigued him and he moved on to the third.

"Yazoo," Voldemort named the third one. Yazoo had the longest hair, the thinnest build, and a calm sort of expression on his face, the calm of a soulless killer. On the ground, a long thin sword appeared, its handle twisted into the shape of a Muggle gun. A barrel ran up along the blade, combining the two weapons into a nightmarish gunblade.

Voldemort returned to the one in the middle. He had medium length hair and medium build. There was nothing physically imposing or impressive about him, but Voldemort couldn't tear his eyes away from the young mans. The green orbs with vertical slits of black reminded him of his own eyes and Voldemort wondered just how much of his own power had been bestowed on this creation.

"Kadaj," Voldemort named him and gave him a long curved sword. Kadaj, showing more initiative and movement than his brother's, bent down on to one knee and picked up his sword. He unsheathed it, reveling a sword with two curved blades mounted side by side instead of just one. He closed the blades and looked up at Voldemort, lifting the sword up to him in an offering.

"The Remnants are ready to serve," Kadaj said eagerly, a dark smile on his face. "What are the Dark Lord's orders?"

* * *

Author's Note:

Wow. Lot going on in that chapte. Let's recap. Aww, Cloud and Tifa finally got together. I was always a fan of those two pairing up. And what is Dumbledore talking about...what or who could this trigger be? And how about the creation of the Advent Children Remnants: Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj? I'm going to have some wicked fun with those three running around the Wizarding World.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If my calcualtions are correct, this will put me over 100,000 words! So please remember to submit your reviews and let me know what you think. I love getting ideas from my readers and I always reply to them when they have the penname tags. So drop me a line.

Later


	21. Quidditch Chaos

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VII. Sad for me.

Author's Note: Hey everyone. It's been a while since I updated this fic, been having too much fun working on The Gunslinger. But fear not, I will not be giving up or abandoning this fic. This chapter is a pretty long one and there is some good action and even a little drama and romance. So enjoy and, like always, read and review!

* * *

Chapter 21

"Quidditch Chaos"

"Why did your friend do that last night?" Cho asked Harry as they walked to breakfast. She kept fiddling with her wand and avoided looking directly at Harry's face, like she was shaken or nervous about the whole thing, and Harry wasn't quite sure how to comfort her. "Merlin, he's a Death Eater, isn't he? We need to tell Professor Dumbledore right away!"

"Cloud would never hurt anyone on purpose," said Harry, giving Cho a reassuring smile. "And, trust me, he is not a Death Eater."

Cho stopped in the middle of the hallway and stared at Harry, her eyebrows scrunching together in a quizzical look. "How do you know he's not a Death Eater?"

"Well, we asked," Harry answered, remembering the confrontation in the Room of Requirement.

"We? You mean you and your little group." Harry noticed the slight sting in Cho's voice and remembered how she reacted to his friendship with Hermione last year.

"Yeah, sort of. I mean, Ginny and I asked. Ron and Hermione just sort of threatened Cloud and Tifa with their wands," Harry said. Cho laughed and Harry smiled at the sweet, almost bell-like sound.

"I should have known the three of you would do something like that," she said.

"We were just looking out for everybody," Harry said defensively.

"I know, I know," said Cho. "You always think about everyone else before yourself. Its one of the things I like most about you, even though it's totally illogical and completely reckless sometimes."

"Like my superhero moment?"

"Exactly," said Cho and she turned around to face Harry. "You know, other than Malfoy being a total jerk and nearly getting cut in half by your friend, I had a great time with you last night."

"Me too."

Cho shuffled around, staring at the walls and floor, looking everywhere other than at Harry. "I was wondering, that is, if you wanted to, um, maybe give things another chance? You know, between you and me?"

-VII-

"So what did you say?" asked Hermione at the breakfast table as Harry paused his story to take a bite out of his breakfast sausage.

"He probably didn't say anything," muttered Ron, his mouth full of food. "I bet they just started snogging right there outside the Great Hall."

"Chew your food Ron," Hermione scowled with an eye roll. "We both know Harry would never do something like that. Would you, Harry?"

Harry's cheeks began to redden as he did his best to concentrate on his breakfast. Hermione's jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide.

"Harry James Potter!"

"I said yes to her first," Harry said sheepishly while Ron roared with laughter.

"Oh, you boys are all alike," grumbled Hermione. "You're only ever thinking about one thing."

"That's not true," protested Ron. "We think about Quidditch a lot too." He and Harry started laughing, but Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Very cute you two, but you need to…" she started to lecture, but stopped suddenly as the entire Great Hall grew silent. Cloud and Tifa had just entered the Great Hall.

-VII-

All eyes were focused on Cloud and he could feel each and everyone. His own glowing eyes swept over the Hall, taking note of each whispering table. Even the professors, seated up at the High Table, whispered and stared.

'They all think I'm some kind of monster or a psycho like that Voldemort guy,' he thought and would have left the Great Hall in shame if Tifa hadn't grabbed onto his hand. Cloud glanced at the hand enclosing his own and then up at her beautiful face.

"It'll be ok," she whispered and Cloud managed to smile back at her. Together they walked past the whispering Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables and past the laughing Slytherin table. Even the Gryffindors moved aside and slid down the benches as Cloud and Tifa took their seats, giving the pair a lot of room. Only Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny didn't move or fidget away.

The Great Hall was silent for a second more and then began to buzz with hundreds of separate conversations and everyone returned to their own meals. Cloud, ignoring the looks from either end of the Gryffindor table, piled spoonfuls of scrambled eggs and potatoes onto his plate. He began to eat, aware that the eyes of his friends remained fixed on him.

"You might as well ask," he said without looking up. "All this staring is ruining my appetite."

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked gently. Cloud looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "Ok, stupid question," Hermione smiled. "Why don't you just tell us what happened?"

Cloud looked over his left and right shoulders, catching the other Gryffindors watching. They turned away quickly, embarrassed at being caught. "This isn't the best place," he said, returning to his eggs. "We'll go to your interrogation room after breakfast. And this is the last time I'm explaining anything."

-VII-

The Room of Requirement was much more comfortable since the last time Cloud, Tifa, and the others were in it. They all sat in cushioned chairs and sofas while Cloud and Tifa did their best to explain things.

"So you're not mad or evil or something. You're just being controlled like Harry used to be?" Hermione asked. Cloud nodded.

"This is bloody confusing and complicated," muttered Ron. "I was just getting used to you two being from a different world or time or something. Now you're telling me you're a clone or mutation or who the bloody hell knows!"

"Its best if you try not to dwell on it," suggested Tifa. "I'll give you headaches."

"I'm not even 100 sure of what I am or what's happened to me," Cloud said before turning to Harry. The young wizard has been silent throughout the entire explanation.

"I'm sorry I tried to cut you and your girlfriend in half," Cloud apologized.

"It's alright. No one was seriously hurt and, honestly, I think I'm starting to get used to people trying to kill me," Harry sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"So, you two are together now huh?" smirked Ginny. Cloud smiled with a dark red blush and Tifa just beamed. "Haha, pay up," she grinned. Grumbling, Ron, Harry, and Hermione dug into their robes and dropped 4 sickles into Ginny's hand.

"There was a bet on us getting together?" Tifa asked astonished.

"Everyone could tell you two had it bad for one another," Ginny explained, pocketing the money. "We just bet on the date."

"Ron said before end of term, Hermione was after Christmas, Ginny was before break, and I said during the break," Harry said.

"Well, I'm glad no one bet against us," said Tifa.

"Yeah well, we'd better get to class," Hermione reminded them. "Professor McGonagall will give us all extra homework if we're late."

-VII-

The day went slowly for Cloud, the classes dragging along. The other students stared at him in each class and even the professors were wary around him. Cloud wasn't sure if Dumbledore had told them anything or not, but Professor McGonagall avoided meeting his eyes with her own the entire Transfiguration Class and even hesitated to hand him back his homework on self-transfiguration. Professor Snape was even more hostile than usual.

"Pathetic, Mr. Strife," Snape sneered as he waved his wand over Cloud's cauldron, emptying the contents and failing Cloud for the day. He turned to walk away, a smug smile on his face, and tripped over Nanaki's fiery tail. Snape caught his balance and turned back at Cloud. "From now on, you will not bring this mangy beast to class Mr. Strife. If I see it inside my classroom again, I will cut off its tail and mane for my private potion stocks. Fire Lion components have been in short supply for years," he said and gave Nanaki a slight kick.

It took Harry, Ron, and Tifa to restrain Cloud from attacking the Professor, while Hermione had to use a Body-Bind Curse on Nanaki to keep him from mauling Snape.

Cloud was still fuming as he walked to his private lesson with Dumbledore. 'I swear I'm gonna get Snape good for that," he promised to himself. He uttered the password to the gargoyles and walked up the staircase. He raised his hand to knock on the headmaster's door, but heard a voice coming from the other side. He lowered his hand and just walked in.

Harry and Dumbledore stood in the middle of the room, wands drawn in what looked like some sort of duel to Cloud. Sparks of red and blue energy flew from their wands, crashing against the walls and into the various magical knick-knacks that filled Dumbledore's office. One blast of red energy crashed into the doorframe above Cloud's head, causing Cloud to duck and utter a loud curse. Harry and Dumbledore stopped dueling and turned, noticing Cloud for the first time.

"Sorry Cloud. Didn't see you there," laughed Harry.

"Watch your aim next time," growled Cloud. "You're lucky you didn't take my eye out."

"Oh come on, it was only a stunning spell, you big baby," Harry countered.

"If you two are done, I believe I can begin your Occlumency training," said Dumbledore. "Cloud, the ability of extracting feelings, reading memories, and even controlling the mind is known as Legilimency. Lord Voldemort is known to be a Master Legilimens and, because of your past and unique abilities, you are especially vulnerable to this power."

"Lucky me," muttered Cloud.

"Harry is likewise vulnerable and has even been possessed by Voldemort in the past," Dumbledore continued. "To prevent this from becoming a danger to yourselves and to others, you both need to learn how to shield your minds from such attacks. This is called Occlumency."

"Snape tried teaching me that last year," Harry said to Cloud. "Did a lousy job though."

"Professor Snape's history with your father clouded his judgment," Dumbledore admitted. "That is why I will be instructing you both from now on. And I best believe we get started. Harry, since you have some knowledge, you will play the aggressor and try to enter Cloud's mind. Do you remember the incantation?" Harry nodded and Dumbledore turned to Cloud. "I want you to try and create a mental shield, something to block the intrusion. The key is to control and hide your emotions. Become a blank slate and counter Harry's spell with one of your own."

Cloud nodded and drew his wand. He stood across from Harry and tried his best to empty his mind. When he thought he was ready, he nodded at Harry. "Alright, let's do this."

Harry leveled his wand at Cloud's face and shouted "_Legilimens!_"

Harry's spell slammed into Cloud's mind, fighting against the flimsy barrier Cloud had created in his mind, and ripping through it after a moment. Cloud reeled backwards, the Headmaster's office swimming away and image after image flashed before his eyes, a flickering film of his past.

_He was a kid in Nibelhiem, watching Tifa run around the Nibel Mountain paths with her friends, his heart already filled with desire that his mind couldn't understand….Sitting at the well with Tifa, making promises….He is standing at attention in Shinra Boot Camp, his drill sergeant barking and spitting into his face….He's in an infantry uniform, listening to Zack Fair give a heartfelt and inspirational speech…._

'Zack…' thought Cloud. 'Never lose your dreams…'

A sudden shock of pain snapped Cloud back to reality; he had fallen onto the floor and landed hard on his rear end. He looked up at Harry, who had lowered his wand and was dripping wet.

"Did you mean to produce an _Aguamenti_ charm?" Dumbledore asked Cloud. Cloud shook his head, getting up from the floor.

"I had hoped not," Dumbledore said. "If only for the sake of my furniture. You let Harry get too far, you lost control."

"Who's the guy with black hair that was holding your sword?" asked Harry.

"That was Zack, I told you about him before," answered Cloud. "Wait, did you see everything I saw?"

"Most of it," said Harry. "Sort of how it works."

"I'd like you both to try again," said Dumbledore. "This time, focus on emptying your mind of all memory and emotion, then form the mental shield."

Cloud nodded and tried to empty his mind, but found it nearly impossible. How could he let go of all his emotions; of his anger towards Voldemort and Sephiroth, even though none of what had happened was Sephiroth's fault; of his love for Aeris, for Tifa. He couldn't just cast all of that aside like meaningless garbage.

"_Legilimens_!"

This time, the spell tore through Cloud's mind, passing through his defenses like a Bludger through tissue paper. The images came stronger and faster this time.

_Dumbledore's office grows completely dark, then begins to glow an eerie white. A raised alter appears. A petite girl, dressed in a pink dress and red jacket, knelt on the alter, her hands folded in prayer. He moves towards the alter, his movements jerky and controlled….He raises his sword to strike….A shadow above, Sephiroth falling from the ceiling, sword piercing into the girls back and out her stomach…._

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Cloud's face contorted into a mask of sadness and fury as he broke out of Harry's spell. He blindly lashed out with his powers, sending a shockwave of telekinetic energy from his outstretched hand. The wave tore through Dumbledore's office, destroying his desk and several of his bookcases. It ripped down several portraits and knocked Harry and Dumbledore to the ground.

Cloud's rage left him as soon as he saw Harry and Dumbledore lying on the ground, both their eyes opened wide in fear and astonishment.

"I am so sorry," Cloud said and he quickly ran over to help them up. "I didn't mean to do that. I don't even know how I did that."

"It's quite alright," chuckled Dumbledore, brushing a bit of dust off his robes. "This room has survived worse calamities than this. However, I do believe this is the most opportune time to stop for today."

Cloud nodded and looked at Harry. The boy's face was pale and he hadn't spoken a word since he cast the spell.

"Now, I believe I have a bit of cleaning up to do," smiled Dumbledore. "We will try again next week. Goodnight."

-VII-

Cloud and Harry walked through the hallways; their hands in their pockets, the only sound were their footsteps echoing through the empty halls. The silence grew awkward and Cloud began to feel guilty.

"Harry, I'm really sorry I kinda blasted you and Dumbledore back there. It really was an accident," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Harry said in a monotone voice, turning his head away so he didn't have to look Cloud in the eye.

"What's the matter Harry? You hurt or something?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm ok; you just knocked the wind out of me." He stopped in the middle of the hallway and faced Cloud. "It's…it's what I saw before that. I saw her on the alter. That was Aeris wasn't it?"

Cloud nodded solemnly. "Sephiroth tried to make me kill her. I would of too, if the others hadn't stopped me in time. But now I think that this Voldemort character wanted me to watch, wanted me to watch him kill her just for fun."

"Yeah, he's a sick bastard like that," mumbled Harry. "I'm sorry I made you relive it back there. I couldn't control what I saw and didn't see."

"It's alright. Its one of those things that you don't forget, even if you want to. Like you and your godfather."

Harry nodded and they walked back to the dorms in silence, nursing the individual wounds in their hearts.

When they reached the dorms, Cloud turned at the stairs to see Tifa while Harry headed for the boys dorms.

"Try and get some sleep tonight," Harry said over his shoulder. "We have our first Quidditch game tomorrow and I can't have my star Beater covered in bruises and Troll blood."

"I think I killed the only two Trolls in the Forest last night," Cloud smiled, "but I'll try and be careful."

-VII-

But sleep was the farthest thing on Cloud's mind as he snuck out into the Forbidden Forest again. With no Trolls left to fight and the Centaurs giving him a wide berth after taking a beating from Tifa, Cloud ran. He ran at full speed through the Forest, leaping above the canopy. His wing shot out of his shoulder and Cloud spent hours soaring through the air, flying high above Hogwarts Castle and over Hogsmeade.

When his energy and rage was finally spent, Cloud landed in front of the Main Hall entrance, his wing shrinking and folding back into his body. He stood on shaky legs, his head hung low, and rotated the kinks out of his sore left shoulder.

"Nice night, isn't it?"

Cloud's head snapped up at the sounds of Professor Cid's voice.

"Professor Cid? Um, I know I'm not supposed to be out after hours, but if you talk with Professor Dumbledore…"

"Stow it Strife," Prof. Cid interrupted. "I could give a rat's ass about the school's rules. I broke enough of them in my time. Though I don't know why you're wearing your school robes for sneaking around the grounds."

"I really need new clothes," Cloud muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. What are you doing out so late?"

"I don't need to explain myself to a student," Cid glared at Cloud. "But if you must know, I was having a drink in Hogsmeade. That Madam Rosemerta serves some damn fine Fire Whiskey."

"I know. Well, I probably should be going, I'm playing in the Quidditch game tomorrow and Harry'll kill me if I don't get some rest."

"First game of the season. Nervous?"

"A little," Cloud admitted.

"Come with me, I think I have something you could use."

They walked into the castle and wound through several hallways before entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Cid's office was located in the back. The office was small with a desk and a pair of chairs as the only furniture. The rest of the room was filled with stacks of files, loose papers and books, pilled and scattered without any sign of order or purpose. Various knickknacks rested on top of the stacks of paper: strange colored rocks, broken bits of metal, tools of all shapes and sizes, gears, the head of his Golem, and what Cloud assumed was the skull of a very small dragon.

"Sit down," Cid said, sitting down behind his desk and pouring himself a glass of Fire Whiskey. He drank it down, not offering any to Cloud, and asked: "So, what are you?"

"Huh?" Cloud felt a small ball of panic swell up in his throat.

"What are you? Keeper? Chaser?"

"Oh, my Quidditch position. I'm a Beater," answered Cloud.

"I figured as much," nodded Cid. "You're too big for a Seeker or Chaser and too quick to be wasted at Keeper. Besides, from what I've seen and heard, you damn well sure have the temperament for the job."

"I guess so," Cloud shrugged.

"I was a pretty fair Quidditch player, once upon a time," Cid said, leaning back in his chair, a small grin on his face as he recollected on memories past. "Course, that was about 20 years and 50 lbs ago, but I was a solid Keeper. Not good enough to go pro, but I was still pretty goddamn good. The Weasley boy's your Keeper, right? He any good?"

"I heard he can be pretty good," Cloud answered. "Has a problem with nerves though."

"Tell him to picture the other team in their dress robes," said Cid. "Makes them a lot less scary lookin'." He stood up and began rummaging through a pile of papers, pushing them out of the way. The papers and books scattered and fell onto the ground as Cid dug deeper. "I have something for ya, might help ya if I can find the goddamn piece of junk. How could something so bloody big be so hard to find?" he grumbled. "Ah, here it is."

Cid emerged from the mess of books and papers holding the largest wooden bat Cloud had ever seen. The bat was the same length as the Buster Sword and, from the apparent strain on Cid's face as he carried it, was easily as heavy.

Cid dropped the bat with a loud _humph _and leaned it up against his desk. He spun it, showing Cloud the engraving on its side.

_**Official Quidditch Beater Bat**_

_**Giant Size**_

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL**_

"Giant size?" asked Cloud.

"Believe it or not, there was actually a Quidditch League for Giants a long time ago," Cid explained. "Didn't last long though; too many casualties."

Cloud picked the bat up easily; it was about the same weight as his sword. He gave it a few practice swings before twirling it over his head.

"Take it easy, ya big blonde buffoon!" Cid shouted, ducking out of the way. "Be careful with that thing; there aren't many souvenirs like that left."

"Thanks a lot Professor, this is gonna work great tomorrow," said Cloud, putting the bat back down.

"Don't mention it. Now get out of here. Try not to get caught by Snape, I think it's his night to patrol the halls," Cid said and sat back down behind his desk.

Cloud nodded and turned to leave the office. He opened the door and walked out of the office. He was about to close the door when Cid spoke from his desk.

"Oh, and Cloud?"

"Yes Professor?"

"Try to behave tomorrow. Those are just kids out there, not Shinra soldiers or mechs."

Cloud stopped in his tracks, his mouth hanging wide open. 'How could he know about them?' he thought. He turned and opened his mouth to speak, but Cid waved his hand and his office door magically closed. Cloud tried the knob, but it wouldn't budge. He slammed his shoulder into it, but the door didn't move an inch.

"Damn magic," Cloud grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder. He walked out of the classroom, determined to confront Cid about it the first chance he had.

-VII-

Cloud stood in the Gryffindor locker room, dressed in red and gold Quidditch robes, showing off his new bat.

"Where did you get that?" asked Colin Creevey, the other Gryffindor Beater, amazed by the size of the bat. Cloud handed it to him, but Colin couldn't hold its weight and fell flat on his backside with the bat on top of him.

"Professor Cid gave it to me," said Cloud, picking the bat off Colin's chest with one hand and helping Colin up with his other.

"They'll never let you play with that," said Katie. "The Slytherins will protest it the second you step out there."

"It says Official Bat on it," argued Ginny. "I bet Madam Hooch allows it."

"Can you hit Malfoy on the head with that?" asked Ron.

"I'll give it a shot," smiled Cloud.

"Just don't get thrown out of the game," said Harry as he entered the locker room along side Tifa. "I can't afford to lose anybody out there today."

"We were only joking Harry." Cloud started to laugh, but stopped when he saw the serious look on Harry's face.

"Listen, I've wanted to squash Malfoy and the Slytherins ever since the twins and I got thrown out last year. But we can't afford to lose our heads our there. We need to play smart as well as hard. No mistakes," Harry said before a wild looking smile broke out across his face. "No mercy either."

"Yeah!" whooped Ron. "Now you're talking!"

"Ginny, Tifa, Katie. I want you three to dazzle them out there. You're the best Chasers in Hogwarts and I want you to show them all what you got," ordered Harry. "Cloud, Colin. I need you guys to protect Ron and the girls. Keep those Bludgers away from us."

"And bash those Bludgers at the Slytherin's heads," interjected Ron. "Especially Malfoy's!"

"That too," nodded Harry. "But focus on defending those goals, Ron. We need you to keep your head out there. No stupid mistakes, ok?"

"And what are you going to be doing?" asked Tifa, tying her long hair back in a tight braid so it wouldn't blow in her face while flying.

"Same thing he always does," grinned Colin, his face bright with hero worship. "Harry's gonna catch the Snitch and win the game!"

"We're all gonna win," grinned Harry, holding his hand out in front of him. "On three?" The others piled their hands on top of his and began to cheer.

"One… two… three… GRYFFINDOR!"

-VII-

The stadium erupted as the Gryffindor team walked out on to the field. Most of the stands were filled with crimson and gold banners and signs. A loud roar burst over the stands as Luna Lovegood's lion hat came to life.

The Slytherin team came out to cheers from their own house and a chorus of boos from the rest of the stands. Still, they stood proud on the field and glared at their rivals.

"Hey, you can't use that tree trunk as a bat, freak!" shouted Malfoy when he saw Cloud's giant bat. He stormed across the field, followed by the rest of the team, and confronted Cloud. "Madam Hooch, he's trying to cheat!"

Madam Hooch swooped down on her broom and landed in between the two teams. "Mr. Strife, you know it is against the rules to magically enhance or change your equipment. I'm afraid I have to disqualify you and your team…"

"Whoa, whoa," protested Cloud. "I didn't change anything. Professor Cid gave it to me like this." He lifted the bat off his shoulder and showed it to Madam Hooch. Her eagle eyes swept over the bat and focused on the engraved inscription.

"I…I don't believe it," Madam Hooch gasped. "A real Giant's League Bat. How did Professor Cid find such a treasure?"

"I don't know, you'd have to ask him. Can I use it?"

"Yes, of course," exclaimed Madam Hooch. "Though I can't believe you're actually going to play with it. It's an antique, worth thousands of galleons."

"Madam Hooch, you can't be serious!" protested Malfoy. "This is completely unfair."

"Stop whining Malfoy," said Tifa. "You're already ugly, you don't need to be annoying too."

"You shut up! You're a freak just like your boyfriend. A pretty freak, but a freak none the less!"

"Enough!" Madam Hooch shouted, stepping in front of Tifa before the girl could snap Malfoy in half. "I will not tolerate this sort of behavior on my field. The next outburst will disqualify his or her team. Do you understand? Now, I want a clean and proper match. Now, captains shake hands and take your positions."

Harry and Malfoy reached out and shook hands, each trying to squeeze hard enough to crush the others fingers.

"Try not to cry when I beat you this time Potty," sneered Malfoy before taking off.

"Like you've ever had a chance at beating me Blondie," Harry sneered right back and he flew high into the air, away from Malfoy.

_TWEET!_

Madam Hooch's whistle cut through the air and the Quidditch match began.

-VII-

"_**And the first match of the year begins!" **_shouted a new voice from the commentator's podium. A tall, skinny blonde boy with an upturned nose was standing there, talking into the magical microphone. His name was Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff player who had problems with Harry the previous year.

"_**It's Slytherin versus Gryffindor and we all know there's no love between these two teams. "Potter has fielded a questionable team in his first season as Gryffindor Captain. There aught to be rules about picking your friends and fans for teammates. **_

_**Slytherin's Valisey has the Quaffle and is streaking across the pitch. Seems like Potter's friends don't have much in terms of speed. Valisey passes to Urquhart, Urquhart shoots…SCORES!" **_Smith's voice boomed across the stadium. _**"Slytherin takes the lead 10-0!"**_

Cloud hovered in the air, gigantic bat resting on his shoulder, watching as Ginny recovered the Quaffle and passed it to Tifa. While Katie ran interference and distracted the Slytherin Chasers, they weaved through the Slytherin defenses effortlessly, passing the Quaffle between themselves the entire way. Tifa lowered her shoulder and plowed through Crabbe, giving Ginny the opening to hurl the Quaffle past Pucey for the score.

The Gryffindor section cheered, complete with a roar from Luna Lovegood's lion hat.

"_**Gryffindor scores on some fancy flying from its Chasers,"**_ Zacharias reported, less than enthusiastic. _**"Lockhart provided an ample block there for Weasley, and—oh she's fouled from behind by Goyle! I don't care what you say, there are just some things you shouldn't do with a Bludger bat. Penalty shot for Gryffindor…and Bell puts it in. 20-10 and Lockhart seems to be ok."**_

Cloud's eyes narrowed and his grip on the bat tightened, the urge to drop his bat and draw the sword hidden in his sleeve tempting. His glowing eyes followed the trail of the closest Bludger and he steered his broom to intercept. Cloud waited, bat at the ready, and swung hard. The Giant League Bat connected with the Bludger and sent it screaming towards Goyle. The boy looked up and pulled back on his broomstick, just in time to keep the Bludger from separating his head from his body. Instead, the Bludger slammed into his broom, splintering it, and sending Goyle crashing to the sandy ground.

"_**And it looks like Strife has avenged his teammate and taken poor Goyle out of the game. That's a teammate for ya folks, although I hear that there's more than just camaraderie between those two."**_

Cloud ignored the commentator, making a mental note to pound him when Gryffindor played Hufflepuff, and went back to concentrating on the game. The game progressed, the score and players going back and forth, back and forth. The Slytherin team grew steadily rougher and began fouling more often as the game went on. Cloud and Tifa took it upon themselves to retaliate as much as possible, resulting in a series of penalties for both teams.

Harry raced around, high above the rest of the players, looking for the Snitch. Malfoy was always close by, nipping at Harry's heels, watching Harry instead of looking for the Snitch himself.

"Just you and me up here Potty," Malfoy sneered, pulling up alongside Harry. "You got lucky the last time."

"Which last time would that be, Malfoy?" Harry grinned back. "Seems to me that there's a whole bunch of them."

"You think you're so smart, don't you Potter. But you're just a weakling that got lucky in the Ministry."

"Shame you weren't there," Harry said, ducking beneath a "You would have looked pretty funny with some brain tentacles in that greasy hair of yours."

Malfoy made a face and was about to say something when he saw something golden flitter past Harry's head. He pulled down on his broomstick and charged right at Harry. Alarmed, Harry reared back to avoid the collision, not realizing that the Snitch was right behind his head.

Harry spun as Malfoy flew past him and spotted the Snitch immediately. "Déjà vu," he muttered and flew after Malfoy.

"_**Malfoy has spotted the Golden Snitch and is taking off after it!" **_exclaimed Smith. _** "Potter is in close pursuit!"**_

Harry's Firebolt was significantly faster than Malfoy's Nimbus 2001 and he caught up quickly. Soon, the two Seekers were neck and neck, both reaching for the Snitch. Malfoy threw his elbow into Harry's face, knocking him back and taking the lead again.

"_**And Malfoy pulls ahead with some expert flying!"**_ cried Smith while the Gryffindor stands screamed for a foul.

Harry spit a wad of blood from his mouth and put his head down, urging his broom faster. He closed the gap, but saw Malfoy reach out, his fingers mere inches from the fluttering Snitch. Wind loud enough to drown out the cheering crowd, Zacharias Smith's commentary, and even Luna's lion hat filled Harry's ears as he pushed his broom faster and faster.

Malfoy stretched for the Snitch, his fingertips nearly reaching it, when Harry caught him and slammed his shoulder into Malfoy. Malfoy corkscrewed through the air, away from the Snitch, giving Harry the chance to reach for it.

"_**Potter sneaks past Malfoy and nearly has the Snitch!"**_

Harry never heard Zacharias' comments, in fact no one did. Because just as Zacharias spoke, just as Harry's fingers closed around the Golden Snitch, the Quidditch Stadium plunged into chaos.

-VII-

The Slytherin goal posts burst in a fiery explosion, burning a great crater into the Quidditch pitch. The explosion sent Pucey and Urquhart careening across the sky, their robes and brooms ablaze, like the tails of comets. It knocked Harry and Malfoy higher into the air, their brooms spinning in an uncontrollable tailspin. The shockwave from the blast knocked poor Colin and Ginny into the stands and knocked Ron into his own goal posts. The blast knocked Tifa and Katie off their brooms; Katie landed hard, face down in the sand; while Tifa managed to roll and get back to her feet quickly.

The spectators reacted in a broad panic. Many of the students, especially the first years, screamed and fought each other to reach the exits. The Teachers tried to control the students and put out the magical blaze on the field, but were failing at both.

Black smoke belched into sky as the fires burned hotter and larger. Cloud and Harry were the only two players left still flying. They hovered there, Cloud's bat hanging loosely in his hand and Harry's fingers still wrapped around the forgotten Snitch.

They stared at burning goal posts until a loud _whooping_ coming from above caught their attention.

A trio of figures on black strange looking brooms flew over the stadium. They flew through the burning hoops and spiraled into the air, hovering above the fire. The trio was dressed in black leather battlesuits and each had pure white hair in varying lengths.

Cloud's glowing eyes opened wide as he stared at the trio. "It can't be…" he muttered, straining his eyes for a better look.

The trio floated down to the ground and stepped off their brooms in front of the grandstands. The one with medium length hair stepped forward and bowed low to the gathered students and teachers.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards!" he exclaimed. "It's so good to meet you all."

"Who are you?" asked Dumbledore. He stood up and approached the trio, his wand held loosely at his side. "What do you want?"

"My name is Kadaj and these are my brothers Yazoo and Loz," he said, gesturing to his long haired and short haired siblings. "And we're here on some family business. A Reunion so to speak. Now where is our dear brother? Its time we took him home."

"I'm afraid that I cannot let you take any of my students anywhere," Dumbledore said and raised his wand at Kadaj. Kadaj grinned at Dumbledore, baring his teeth in a mad grin.

"You have no power here old man. You and your kind are like insects to my family." Kadaj stepped backwards and Yazoo, the long haired brother walked towards Dumbledore.

Yazoo closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating hard, and raised his hands into the air. Clouds of black sprang into existence, swirling around and condensing, forming a small army of shadowy, wolf-like monsters. Most of the students and several professors screamed as the Shadow Wolves snapped their jaws and raced into the stands, starting a panic.

Several students, all members of Dumbledore's army, drew their wands and fired Stunning Spells at the Shadow Wolves, blasting them back into wisps of cloud. The Wolves themselves weren't very durable, but for every one the young witches and wizards destroyed, two more took its place.

Tifa raced across the field and stood in-between the Wolves and the students. She pulled off her Quidditch robes, reveling her tank top and short skirt underneath. She assumed her fighting stance, despite not having her gloves on, and destroyed the first Wolf that came close enough with a devastating front kick. She pivoted on her heel, striking another three Wolves with a spinning back fist.

"Hmm, she's got some spirit," said Kadaj. "Take care of her Loz." Loz grinned, his lips pulled back like an animal, and his piledriver weapon snapped into place on his wrist. He started running at Tifa, becoming a blurred streak of black. Tifa braced herself, throwing a straight punch to intercept the charging Loz.

Loz grinned before ducking beneath Tifa's punch and lowered his shoulder, colliding into Tifa's stomach. The tackle sent Tifa flying backwards into the stands, smashing several rows of bleachers to splinters. Tifa rolled off the bleachers, her ribs tender from the blow. She staggered and stood, but couldn't see Loz anywhere.

"Here pretty, pretty, pretty," Loz said from behind Tifa. With a cackle of electricity, Loz slammed his piledriver into Tifa's back, electrocuting her and launching her across the entire Quidditch field. She skipped off the sandy ground several times and came to a stop, face down and not moving, in a small trench near the Gryffindor goal posts.

-VII-

Cloud grit his teeth and growled under his breath as he saw Tifa take the hit from Loz's weapon. By the time she bounced off the ground and came to a rest beneath the goal posts, Cloud was already streaking towards Loz, his Beater Bat tossed aside. He dug under his sleeve and withdrew his miniaturized sword. With a word, the Hardedge grew to its proper and menacing size and Cloud aimed its square tip at Loz's chest.

Kadaj moved in a flash of silver, putting himself between Cloud's sword and Loz's chest, blocking Cloud's attack with his blade.

"Now, now, that won't do at all," Kadaj smiled, spinning around and kicking Cloud off his broom. "That's no way to greet your dear brothers."

"Brothers?" Cloud uttered as he stood and leveled his sword at Kadaj.

"Surely you see the family resemblance?" asked Kadaj, spreading his hands out wide to showcase himself.

"Just look like the same Sephiroth clones we came across back home," Cloud growled, his eyes boring into Kadaj's. "Those sacks of garbage, those pure and proper experiments, they all died in a pool of black piss and never made it near Sephiroth."

"I am far superior to those puppets as you are to these disgusting humans!" Kadaj exclaimed in a sudden blaze of fury. "They were just bits of leftovers and wasted Jenova Cells. Your Sephiroth means nothing to us. His blood and flesh were just meaty ingredients to give us shape and form. Our life comes from our Father, the Dark Lord himself," he said, raising his hand and stretching his fingers towards Cloud, wisps of smoke leaking out from beneath his fingernails. "We are born from his magic!"

Tentacles of black lightning sparked off Kadaj's fingers, arcing across the air towards Cloud. Cloud managed to bring his sword up in the nick of time to block the lightning. It was only when the lightning slammed into the sword that Cloud realized that using a metal object to block electricity was not one of his better ideas.

The lightning coursed up and down the Hardedge and into Cloud, knocking him backwards and into the air. He landed in the sand as Kadaj lowered his fingers. The Remnant walked towards Cloud, twirling his sword by his side, humming a nameless tune.

"Ouch," groaned Cloud as he stood, rolling the kinks out of his neck. "Never saw that one before. Voldemort teach it to ya?"

"My Father taught me many things," Kadaj growled and lunged at Cloud, slashing downward to cut Cloud's torso in half. Cloud brought his sword up and parried the attack, thrusting at Kadaj's chest. Kadaj spun out of the way, backing off enough for Cloud to press the advantage.

They crashed into each other, sparks cascading off their swords, before separating. Cloud pushed Kadaj backwards and a pair of quick slashes knocked Kadaj back towards the burning goal posts. Kadaj skidded to a halt and bared his teeth at Cloud. He was being beaten and he didn't like it at all.

"You're pretty strong for a discarded puppet," he sneered, trying to get under Cloud's skin. "If you'd only embrace your other side, you could rival Father's puppet in power."

"I already defeated Sephiroth," Cloud growled, his eyes glowing brighter. "And your deranged Father is next!"

Full of rage, Cloud lunged at Kadaj, chopping at him with an obvious overhead swing. Kadaj reached up and caught Cloud's sword with his own. Kadaj twisted his wrist, trapping Cloud's sword between his twin blades. Cloud pulled and pulled, but couldn't free his sword. The rectangular blade began to bend and made an unhealthy strained noise. Cloud mentally cursed; if he had replaced the Ultima crystal in his sword, the blade would be much stronger and would have cut through Kadaj's blades effortlessly. But the Hardedge, while stronger than the normal Buster Sword, just couldn't handle stress for very much longer.

"Nice trick," he muttered, still pulling at his sword. Kadaj smiled, and turned his wrist more, putting more stress on the Hardedge.

"And for my next one…" Kadaj smiled wider and raised his free hand, touching Cloud's sword with his fore finger. _"Fracta."_

A single crack split down the center of Cloud's sword before spreading out across the entire surface. Cloud's eyes grew in horror as his sword, his treasured sword, burst into a hundred thousand pieces, the steel shattering like a plane of glass, leaving him holding nothing more than a broken handle. The pieces continued to disintegrate, turning into grains of sand as they fell to the ground.

Cloud fell to his knees, dropping his broken handle, his spirit as broken as his sword. He looked around the Quidditch field, seeing nothing but devastation. Tifa was still lying on the other end of the field, barely moving. Harry and the others were still fighting off legions of Shadow Wolves. Teachers were trying to evacuate the students from the stands and fight simultaneously. Cloud could see several students were wounded, while several lay face down at their seats, still, bloody, and torn.

"Still think I'm a worthless clone?" Kadaj asked as he stood over Cloud. "You are the worthless one. Go to the other world and know that I will burn all you know and hold dear."

Kadaj raised his sword, lining it up with the back of Cloud's neck. He wound up, like a baseball player, ready to cleave Cloud's head and neck from his body. Cloud made no move to stop him.

Kadaj stepped to swing, but stopped as a series of bright beams of magic cut through all of the remaining Shadow Wolves. The Order of the Phoenix, led by Mad-Eye Moody, appeared in the air, flying to the rescue on broomstick. Moody swooped down at Yazoo, knocking him down with a wave of his staff. The combined force of Tonks (her hair a somber mousy brown) and Molly Weasley stunned Loz, driving him to one knee and keeping him away from Tifa.

Free from battling the Shadow Wolves, Dumbledore whirled into the air with a grace that belittled his advanced age, firing a series of curses and hexes at Kadaj. Abandoning striking a brutal _coup de ta_ on Cloud, Kadaj leapt into the air, spiraling to avoid Dumbledore's spells. He landed beside his downed brothers, picking them up off the ground. Loz and Yazoo, shaking off the effects of the Order's spells, raised their hands and summoned their brooms. The black brooms whipped through the air and hovered obediently in front of the brothers. Loz and Yazoo took off, racing past the members of the Order, and disappeared into the cloudy sky.

Kadaj stood still, his broom hovering at waist height, surrounded by a growing number of teachers and members of the Order of the Phoenix. The Order members were especially twitchy; they immediately noticed Kadaj's resemblance to Sephiroth and were keen to avenge Kingsley Shacklebolt's death.

Kadaj smirked at the angry mob, perfectly calm despite the situation. "Your world is at its end," he said, his voice low and sinister. "My family will cover this world in darkness before burning it to ashes. _Morsmordre!_" Kadaj's arm shot into the sky and the Dark Mark burst into existence amongst the clouds. The yawning skull with a serpent slithering out of its mouth distracted the Order of the Phoenix long enough for Kadaj to mount his broom and take off after his brothers.


End file.
